


Oncoming Storm 2.0

by AlyxRae



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon GO
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adorable Spark, Adventure, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Friends, Drama, Firecracker Candela, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Kid Fic, Kidnapping, Light-Hearted, Original Character(s), Original Pokemon Region, Spark's Jolteon is called Fluffy, Team Rocket - Freeform, idk why i thought that was a good idea, just best bros being best bros, no ships, non-binary blanche, party in Kanto, re-post, team rocket really needs a new hobby, they're all like 10-12 for the majority of this story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-17 20:51:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 85,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11859429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyxRae/pseuds/AlyxRae
Summary: People might see him as immature or a bit of a goof ball, but there's a reason Spark is the leader of Team Instinct. You could say he'd been preparing for this role his entire life. His journey is if full of friendship and dangers, and along the way he proves over and over again that he is a force to be reckoned with.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya!
> 
> So this is actually a re-post from my fanfic.net account. I wrote this story over a year ago after diving into the Team Instinct tag on Tumblr and got really inspired by some of the headcanons and drawings there. Now, when i was writing this, Surfacage's comic was just getting started and it was a huge inspiration for my love of the leaders. 
> 
> That been said, this is not related to The World will Turn to Ash.
> 
> No Noire and Amelie, no assistants, and no birdy possession. I love their story and characterizations so much, but wanted to do my own thing with this story. 
> 
> Re-reading it, it's going to be a little different then when i originally posted it, i realized that i didn't like where i ended some of the chapters and some of my sentences are weirdly phrased, so i am kind of editing it. Don't expect perfect grammar tho, I'm kinds dense sometimes lol.
> 
> I ramble. I hope you enjoy this story!

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

The alarm clock on the bedside table blared. Little Spark flung off his blanket and grinned. He reached out and slammed his little hand on the button, shutting up the clock. “Today’s the day…” he mumbled. Spark hopped out of bed and hurried to his desk chair. Being 6, he didn’t really have much use for a desk. Mostly it just held an over whelming amount of collectible Pokémon figures.

On the back of the chair were the clothes he laid out the night before. There was no way he was going to be late. Spark got dressed quickly; nearly running in the wall when he got his shirt stuck over his head. Once dressed he hurried down the hall to his father’s room. Spark opened the door quietly and then took a few steps back.

“BONZIIII!” he dashed into the room and leaped on the bed, landing right on his dads back.

“OOF!” the older man grunted. This wasn’t the first time he’d gotten this wake up call. In fact, Galvan had stopped setting his own alarm clock years ago. He yawned loudly. “Morn’ Sparkster. Dressed already?”

“C’mon Dad. We’re gonna be late!” Spark hopped off and ran out towards the kitchen.

Spark pulled out one of the chairs and dragged it to the counter. Very carefully, he climbed up got the cereal from the cupboard. He set it down and then grabbed two bowls. One for him, and one for his dad. Spark set the table while his dad got dressed and even began measuring out the coffee. Granted he wasn’t doing too hot on that second part. Luckily his dad had just turned the corner into the kitchen. Galvan picked Spark up off the chair mid scoop and set the little boy on the floor. He traded the scoop for milk and tried not worry about the mess.

Spark plopped down at the table and poured himself some cereal.  It took both hands to pour the milk. He shoveled the sugary breakfast into his mouth; hardly stopping to breath. He finished lighting fast and zoomed to put his dishes in the sink.

“All done.” he said excitedly. “Can we go now?”

“Nearly ready… ah there we go.” Hot coffee began pouring into Galvan’s travel mug. He knew today was not a day for a nice relaxing cup of coffee. “Alright buddy, go get your shoes on and meet me at the fence.”

“Okay!” Spark hurried to front door where all the shoes were piled haphazardly. He dug around for a bit until he found his favorite pair and slid them on. Once he had them tied, he burst out the front door. The sun was only about half way over the horizon but the valley was already up and moving. Spark went to the little white fence that surround his house and gazed at everything just beyond it.

They were one of a few families that were lucky enough to live in this quiet place. The valley was protected all around by tall mountains and a ring of trees that held all sorts of Pokémon. Every time they had to go into town, Spark would get lost sometimes just watching the little creatures. Being that his dad was a Pokémon breeder, the two of them spent hours at this little hobby. Often times they would forget why they set out to town in the first place.

 A few people passed by, waving at Spark as they did. They were all heading to the cliff. Spark began rocking back and forth on his heels. Standing still was something he could never do for long.

“Alright buddy, all ready.” Galvan stepped down the porch, taking a big gulp of coffee.

“Lets go! I already saw some people heading over.” The little boy whined. Galvan pushed up his sleeve and whistled.

“Hmm looks like we got some competition for good seats. Wanna see if Sai will give us a ride?”

Spark’s eyes practically sparkled at the idea. He dashed around to the back of the house where a large arcanine was curled up, asleep. The back yard belonged to this lovable Pokémon and had always had, as long as Spark could remember. Sai wasn’t technically his dads Pokémon, he’s never been in a battle or a pokéball in his entire life. He was more like a friend who lived with them and was occasionally let them ride on his back. Spark skidded to a halt in front of the snoring beast, its fluffy fur moving in the breeze. He place one hand behind its ear and began to scratch. Sai huffed, his back leg beginning to twitch. He slowly opened his eyes and yawned. Spark giggled. The fur on one side of Sai’s face was smooshed. The arcanine responded by licking the side of Spark’s face, making his hair stand up on one side.

“You two are matching.” Galvan chuckled. He strode over to his friend and rubbed his head. “So, how ‘bout it buddy? Wanna give us a ride?”

Sai answered by standing and stretching. He barked happily.

“Sounds like a yes. Alright Sparkster, you first…” Galvan picked up his son and situated him on the arcanine’s back. Spark grabbed a hand full of soft fur in front of him and got ready. After Galvan chugged the rest of his coffee, he hopped on and did the same. “Got a good hold?” he asked.

“Yep. Let’s go!” Spark said impatiently.

The magic words were spoken. Sai crouched and leaped over the little fence. The three of them were off, staying close to the dirt path that led to the cliff. Spark whooped and laughed as they soared through the tall grass. Sai howled along having just as much fun as the little boy. It took mere minutes to pass everyone Spark saw walk by his house. He waved at them as they passed and giggled as they waved back. Soon the ring of trees popped up in front of them. Sai didn’t slow down a bit as they dove into the trees. Spark stopped hollering, concentrating on keeping all his limbs as close to the Pokémon as possible. Sai expertly weaved his way between the trees. That’s the advantage to having a wild Pokémon as a friend. They have a crazy amount of experience that some never get.

The three burst out of the trees. Sai planted his front paws in the dirt, slowing himself down to a trot. Spark’s spikey blond hair was pushed all the way back, a smile glued to his face. Galvan slid off, a silly child-like grin on his face as well. Spark hopped into his dad’s arms.

“That was the best!” he laughed.

“Don’t tell me, tell Sai.” He put his son down, facing the arcanine.

Spark hugged Sai, his little arms nowhere near wrapping around all that fluff. “Thanks Sai. That was awesome.”

Sai barked happily and nuzzled the little boy. He licked the side of his face once more before turning around and heading back into the forest. After all, they only asked for a ride there and not one back. Spark turned his attention to the cliff, back to the real event of the day. He hurried to the side, careful not to get too close.

“When are they coming dad?” he asked.

“Should be-” he glanced at his watch again. “15 minutes or so? They usually pass over here before the sun is fully up.”

Spark looked over to the east, the sun blinding him for a second. It was more than halfway over the horizon by this point, but still not fully risen.

The little boy crossed his legs and plopped down on the ground. Behind him, other people began to emerge from the forest. Adults and kids alike, everyone was up early to see this annual event. Galvan greeted everyone merrily, making conversation here and there. But Spark was too preoccupied with waiting. He rested his elbows against his knees and began tugging on his shoe laces. He untied them, and then retied them, over and over just to keep moving.

He glanced back at his dad who smiled and mouthed the word _soon_.

Spark frowned, feeling like soon wasn’t even close enough. It had really only been a few minutes, but to an excited little boy like him, the minutes felt like days. Just as he was about to pout, a little glimmer caught his eye. Spark squinted, blocking out the annoying sun with his hand. He jumped up and turned round to everyone.

“There they are!” he shouted. Everyone quieted and turned to look where he was pointing. Sure enough, in the distance were thousands of glistening wings. Murmurs of excitement trickled throughout the crowd. Spark’s hands were trembling, honestly it was amazing he wasn’t jumping around the trees at this point. When they were in sight, Spark reached up and clutched his father’s hand.

The sky was filled with thousands of butterfree, all returning home after a long time away. The air around the crowed was suddenly pulsing with tons of different wings beating up and down in a random pattern. The blue sky was impossible to see with all of them flying overhead.

For a moment, it felt as though you were flying with them. Galvan lifted his son off the ground and put him on his shoulders so Spark was right in the action. He lifted his hands and reached for them, feeling them graze his fingertips every so often. One butterfree in particular turned around after flying by, staring curiously at the little boy. Spark smiled and waved. The butterfree made its cute little trill and circled the boy and his father before rejoining the group. Just as quickly as they came, the butterfree had all passed, continuing they journey beyond the valley and back to their home.

The crowed that had gathered to watch their return let out a collective breath. There was a moment of silence before some started laughing. The spell was broken and everyone went on to talk about the wonderful event they had all witnessed. Like Spark, this was the first time for some of them. But for others, lots of the adults, this was something they had been waking up early to see for years.

Spark stared after the Butterfree until they were nothing but a haze over the trees. Galvan tugged on his sons pant leg, getting his attention.

“So what’d you think, Spark?” he asked.

“That was…” young Spark tried to think of a good word. He didn’t really know many words to describe something so amazing. Awesome or cool just didn’t seem to cut it. He frowned, thinking.

Galvan chuckled. “Yeah, I didn’t know what to say the first time either.”

“Grandpa took you, right?”

“Yep. When I was just a little older than you.” Galvan began following the crowd back to the trees. This time they got a nice leisurely stroll through the woods.

“Why do the butterfree go away in the first place?”

“They go away for winter. They don’t like the cold.”

“Why don’t they just wear jackets like us?”

Galvan chuckled, “because then they wouldn’t be able to fly. Could you imagine a butterfree wearing your winter jacket?”

Spark imagined it and decided that it was good answer. He moved on to other questions.

“Dad? How do the butterfree know when to comeback? Last year it was cold all the way to March, but this year it’s already warm. How do they know?”

“Hmm, I guess they just follow their instincts.”

The little boy frowned. “Instincts?”

“Yeah. They just know.”

“But how?”

Galvan thought for a moment; trying to figure out the best way to explain something so abstract to his young son. “Well, how do you know the best way to wake up Sai without making him grumpy?”

“I don’t know, I just know.”

“That’s exactly how the butterfree know when to come home. They just know. They get a feeling, deep down and they follow it. They follow their instincts. Just like you do with Sai.”

“I don’t get it.” He frowned.

“Not a lot of people do. That’s why we study Pokémon. To understand more about them. And sometimes we find out things about ourselves too.”

“Like how you found out you were in love with mama?”

“Yes,” Galvan slowed down as memories began to flow back into his mind. “I knew your mom for a long time before I realized that I loved her. It wasn’t until we were studying the same region that I began to understand.”

Spark rested his head against his dads, the same spikey blond hair sticking up and tickling his cheek. He gazed at the ground and tried to remember what his mother looked like. “Dad?”

“Hmm?”

“I miss her.” he said, a picture of a pretty lady finally becoming clear in his mind.

“I do too, Sparkster.” He said quietly. Sensing that his son was becoming gloomy by the second, Galvan tried to think of something to cheer him up. “Hey, do you wanna come to work with me today? We’ve got some ponyta were releasing back to the wild.”

The offer was far too tempting for Spark to resist. “Oo! Yeah!”

“Alright, but first your dad needs a nap.” As if to prove it, he yawned loudly.

“But I thought coffee was your wake up juice?” Spark tilted his head to the side.

“I need lots of coffee to wake up today.” He sighed. Spark didn’t really understand it, but he just rolled with it. After all, his dad did look a little sleepier than usually.

The two strolled back to their house where Sai was once again passed out but this time on the porch. They shuffled past the sleeping arcanine and went inside where Galvan immediately made his way to the couch. Spark stifled a laugh as his dad starting snoring as soon as he lay down. The little boy pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and covered his sleeping father with it. Something he figured out a long time ago was that it was nice to put a blanket on someone if their sleeping. He went back to the hall and kicked off his shoes before heading to his own room. Even though he didn’t feel tired, he lay down in his bed and closed his eyes.

As soon as they were closed, Spark saw butterfree flying all around him again. This time, he was the only person on the cliff. A few of the bug Pokémon broke free from their procession and began circling around him. Round and round they went, their wings shining. Spark spun around with them until he became too dizzy to stand. He fell back but he never  hit the ground. The butterfree had caught him and now they were hovering just above the ground with him on their backs. Spark laughed wildly as the butterfree lifted him higher in the air, taking him home with them. 

* * *

 

Spark climbed up the fence and watched the ponyta run and play in the corral. In the center of them all was his dad and a few other people with food bags slung over their shoulders.  Galvan waved to his son, who waved back with both hands almost falling off the fence at the same time. The ponyta seemed completely at ease with the people in the corral, but stayed clear of Spark. It made him a little sad, seeing that he’s never actually met one before, but his dad always taught him not to force anything when it came to Pokémon. They knew what they wanted, and when they wanted to meet little Spark they’d let him know it.

After a few minutes, a two people appeared at the gates at the front of the corral. Outside the tiny enclosure was the wide open valley, and beyond tons of fields for the ponyta to run free. Spark swung his legs over fence and sat, his knees bouncing in excitement. Someone at the gate was counting down from 5. When they shouted 1, the gates were flung them open and the ponyta rushed towards the exit, jumping and neighing happily. A few of them lingered around Galvan and the others in the corral, but the idea of freedom was far too exciting. Spark watched them go, a little sad. He knew how much his dad liked fire Pokémon.

Galvan jogged over to Spark, a huge smile on his face. “So what’d you think, Sparkster?”

“That was so cool.” He was still watching them go. “Do they ever come back?”

“Sometimes. There’s a ninetales we knew as a vulpix that still visits. It all depends on the Pokémon.”

Spark nodded, a serious expression on his face. “I wanna raise Pokémon someday. Like you do, Dad.”

“I know buddy, and one day you will. Now c’mon it’s lunch time.”

Spark climbed down a little awkwardly and followed his dad inside the large building. This place was a lab and a workplace for many different types of people. Researchers, breeders, nurses and doctors alike all there to learn and share what they knew about Pokémon. The valley was such a prime place for studying because there were so many different types close by. Plenty of grass and bug types in the forest, the lake over to the south was home to all sorts of water types, and the mountains in the distance were practically bursting with rock and fighting types. It was kind of ridiculous how perfect it was.

Spark ate lunch with all his dad’s coworkers, going on and on about the butterfree migration that morning. Some of them had even been there to witness it. Every time Spark hung around with these people, he loved to pick their brains about all the things they knew about Pokémon. But for some reason, everyone seemed a little less eager to talk today.

Soon, the two of them were alone at the table. Everyone else had left shortly after scarfing down their food. Galvan fluffed up Sparks hair and collected their plates. “Want me to walk you home?” he asked.

“Nah, I’ll be fine on my own.” He shrugged. Home was only s 5 minute walk away.

“Alright, stay on the path and call when you get home.” He walked with Spark to the big sliding doors at the entrance of the building. “See ya in a few hours.”

“Yep, bye Dad!” Spark hopped down the steps two at a time and began his trek back home. He circled the now empty corral, kind of hoping that a ponyta had wandered back by now. Seeing as there was nothing, he kind of got a little grumpy. The road home was surrounded by nothing but grass, there wasn’t even the occasional tree to decorate his walk. Spark stuck his hands in his pockets and sighed.

All the sudden there was a curious sound. Kind of like rocks being banged together. Spark looked around and saw a group of boys huddled in the tall grass. He knew the boys and honestly wasn’t too fond of them. They were a few years older and were never kind enough to let him join in their games. Spark walked faster to avoid them when he heard the sound again. There was a flurry of laughter from the boys as the banging noise grew more persistent. Spark realized that his first guess was wrong the close he got to the scene. His eyes widened when he finally saw what they were doing.

“C’mon, hit it harder!” one of them shouted.

“Here let me try!”

“No, you’re not strong enough!”

Spark bounded off the path and tried to push the other boy’s out of the way. “What are you doing?! That’s a Pokémon egg! You’re gonna hurt it!”

“Get lost, _Spork_.” One of the boys jeered. He shoved back the little boy, but Spark didn’t give up. He circled around the other side and tried again.

“Stop being mean to it!” he cried.

One of the boys, a gangly thing with big ears, spun around and grabbed Spark by the collar. “Didn’t you hear ‘im? Get lost. This ain’t got nothing to do with you.” He tossed him aside easily and turned back to his friends, ignoring the younger boy. Spark got up quickly and ran at the gang, knocking two of them together. The boy who pushed him aside, Davis he suddenly remembered, turned around slowly with a furious look.

“What do you think you’re doin’?” he spoke slowly, standing up tall. Spark stretched and tried to look as brave as possible. Unfortunately when a six year old tries to look fierce, he usually just looks silly.

Davis cracked his knuckles while the other boys sniggered behind him. Spark glanced at the egg, coming to quick decision. Davis lunged, his fist raised. Quick as a fearrow, Spark ducked underneath the older boys arms and dove towards the egg. There was no way he could carry it off with all the others standing around, but he could protect it from them. Spark wrapped his arms and legs around the egg just in time to for someone to kick him right in the side. Spurred on by Davis, the rest of the boys suddenly started pounding on Spark. Through it all, he held on to the egg, taking every hit that would have been meant for defenseless object. He gritted his teeth and waited for the assault to be over.

“Get off of him!” A new voice shouted. Spark had closed his eyes at this point, biting back the thrum of pain. Thankfully, the new voice had made the boys stop.

“Get outta here, little girl. This ain’t got nothin’ to do with you.” Davis spat.

“Oh yeah?” the new voice said again. She sounded feisty. “Well my auntie is a police officer and I bet she’d think it’s her business!”

“You’re- you’re bluffing.” Davis didn’t sound as cool as he did before.

“Oh yeah? Wanna find out?”

Two of the boys took off before she finished and pretty soon all of them hurried away. The last one to leave was Davis. He aimed a kick for the egg once more, but Spark shuffled around and got hit in the side instead. Davis let out an annoyed hiss before running off leaving the two of them alone. Spark hurt all over and wasn’t sure if he could move at all. He rubbed his little hands over the egg, happy to feel its warmth. He slowly put his ear against the hard shell and listened carefully. The thing was full of life, thrumming softly. A big smile spread across his face.

“Hey, are you alright?” The girl was at his side, her voice much more calm then before. Calm, but no less tough and fiery. Spark looked up and squinted at her, one of his eyes was already getting swollen. The girl in question looked about his age and had pretty dark skin with short cropped hair. Her big golden eyes looked worried.

“I’m fine. We’re both fine.” Spark tried to smile but it kind of ended up looking like a grimace. The girl looked doubtful.

“Come on, let’s go get you some help.” She helped him up by the arm, taking it a little too fast at first. After Spark winced in pain, she mumbled an apology and went slower. “My names Candela. What’s yours?”

“Spark. Nice to meet you.” He thought about shaking hands like he’d seen his dad do all the time, but decided not to risk it, he didn’t want to drop the egg.

“You too.” She looked back and forth down the path. “So… do you live around here?”

“Yeah just up the road- oh but my dad’s at work.”

“Dontcha have someone at home? Like your mom?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Nope. Just the two of us. His work isn’t far though; it’s just a little ways that way.”

“Alright, let’s go.” Candela led the way, marching off with an incredibly assured air. Spark wanted to follow in the same manner, but every part of him felt so sore he couldn’t move faster than a slowpoke. He chuckled a bit at the confident girl, but that just made his side hurt. After a few minutes Candela finally noticed that she was walking too fast and circled back around. They walked slowly and quietly for a little while.

Spark held his ear to the egg again, strangely nervous. There was this weird fear in the back of his head that it actually wasn’t alright, that those boys had actually hurt it somehow. Thinking back to what just had happened, a question popped into his head.

“Is your aunt really a police lady?” He asked.

Candela giggled. “Yeah, but not here. She lives far away, I don’t really remember where. But it did get those boys to leave you alone.” She grinned, puffing out her chest in a proud way. Spark grinned too. He shuffled on slowly, his father’s work clearly in view. Candela gazed at the egg. “Did you really get beat up because of that?”

“Well, yeah.” He frowned. “They were hurting it, trying to crack it open.”

“What?! Why those big, ugly-“Then Candela said a word that made Spark’s ears burn. “Now I wish my auntie was here. She’d arrest them in no time flat.”

She nodded her head in a very sure way. Spark had the feeling that any lady related to her would be ten times as fierce and know heaps more bad words. In that moment, he decided that he liked Candela.

“Hey I haven’t seen you here before. Do you live around here?” Spark asked.

“Nope. I’m just visiting my cousins. I just got here this morning.”

“That makes sense.” Just then, one of the researchers Spark had had lunch with earlier spotted them on the path. He waved but then did a double take when he realized the Spark was all black and blue. He turned and high tailed it inside and in now time at all, Galvan was running towards them.

Spark ducked his head, leaning towards his friend. “That’s my dad.”

“Yeah I kinda figured.” Candela nodded. “You guys look alike.”

Spark’s father and a few others skidded to a stop in front of the two kids, all of them looking incredibly worried. Galvan dropped to his knees and put a gentle hand on Sparks’ black eye.

“S-Spark? What happened to you?” his dad was shaking all over. This made the little boy feel incredibly guilty. Even though it wasn’t his fault, and he really was doing the right thing, it pained him to see his dad so distraught. Words dried up in his mouth and all he could do was clutch the egg.

Candela decided to speak up for him. “Some jerk kids were trying to crake open this egg, see? And Spark here tried to stop them so they started beating him up instead! When I saw what was happening, I ran over and got them to go away. Then we came to get you.” She crossed her arms confidently and Galvan smiled.

“Thank you for helping him. It’s Candela, right?” she nodded wildly.  “Your uncle Zeke is a friend of mine. He said we might see you around.” Galvan turned back to Spark who still hadn’t looked up at him. “C’mon let’s get you inside and make sure you’re okay. I’ll get Sai to carry you into town so we can see the doctor—“

“—we need to make sure the egg is okay first!” Spark blurted out. Everyone looked down at the little boy in shock. Even though he only had one good eye, his glare was so fierce and determined that it ran through them like a current. Like a current of electricity.

“Spark, we need to make sure you’re okay first—“

“—those boys were hitting it with rocks. See! There’s a dent right there, and there! That could be a crack. We gotta make sure it’s okay!”

Galvan was stuck between the two decisions. It didn’t look like Spark had any serious injuries, but he certainly had a good tussle. On the other hand, his son was so adamant about the egg that he might not corporate for the doctor at all. That is if he somehow managed to drag him to the town outside the valley.

Spark hopped up on his heels as an idea had struck his little mind. “Have one of the chansey patch me up! They’re nurses.”

“Nurses for Pokémon, I don’t think the rules are the same for humans.”

“I know they’ll know what to do. Besides nothing broken, I was able to walk here all by myself.” He grinned widely, like that fact was something to be proud of.

There were about four more arguments from his father, but Spark had a response for everything. It was clear more than anything that the little boy had the upmost faith in the fairy Pokémon and also that he would not stop fighting until he made sure the egg was well taken care of. At this rate, it seemed that they were getting nowhere.

“Alright,” Galvan put his hands up in surrender, “you win. Let’s go inside and see the chansey. I’ll get Professor Willow to take a look at the egg.”

If he could, Spark would have jumped up and down at his victory. Instead he settled for little hop and a cocky smile.

“Well I should get going. I was supposed to meet my cousins a little while ago.” Candela rubbed the egg and looked up at Spark. “You’re kind of weird, but I hope I see you again before I leave.”

“Me too!” he nodded earnestly. “Oh, but not the weird part, you don’t seem weird. See ya later, Candela.”

“Bye Spark!” and with that the little girl turned around and began running back down the road. Judging by how fast she was running, it seemed that she was very late to meet her cousins. 

* * *

 

Spark sat up on the examination table, his legs swinging back and forth off the side. The chansey had just spent the better part of an hour patching up every cut and bruise he had gotten from the bullies. She tottered back to the table and held up a cool pack for his eye.

“Thank you.” He took it and sighed as the cold hit his sensitive skin.

For a moment, he imagined that he was a pirate and was being fitted for his very first eye patch. As visions of buccaneers and hurricanes filled his mind, two men walked into the room. One of them, the often talked about Professor Willow, was holding the egg in his arms looking quite happy.

“Spark?” his dad interrupted his day dream. He pulled away the ice pack and look at his sons swollen eye. “You know you still haven’t told me who did this.” His voice sounded strained.

Spark looked down and struggled to answer. “I don’t want them to get in trouble for beating me up. I want them to get in trouble for hurting the egg. I wouldn’t have gotten hurt if they hadn’t been being mean to it.”

“Well you are a bit of a strange one, aren’t you?” Professor Willow chuckled. “You’re dad said all you cared about was this little guy, but still I didn’t think you’d be this hung up on it.”

Spark hopped down from the table and hurried over to Willow. “How is it?” he eagerly asked.

“Perfectly fine. There’s a few bumps and cracks here and there, but it’s nothing to worry about. Pokémon eggs are about as tough as a cloisters shell. Tougher even.”

Willow handed the egg to Spark, who took it with both hands. He held his ear up to it and closed his eyes. The shell was warm and rough and inside he could have sworn he heard a humming sound. Very slowly, he began rocking side to side. While this had happening, another thing was happening around him. Willow took Galvan aside and spoke in a low voice.

“I think your son should have the egg.” Willow said plainly. Galvan smiled and looked at the scene of his son hugging and rocking the egg.

“I don’t think we’d be able to pry it from his arms.”

“You’re probably right. Has he ever help you take care of the eggs before? He seems to have a great intuition for it.”

“No, he’s been around them a little but mostly stays outside near the pens when he’s here. He’s always had a good way with Pokémon, ever since he could walk.”

The two men came to an agreement and went back to tell Spark. The little boy nearly burst their eardrums when he found out they wanted him to keep the orphaned egg. It was a tradition for kids to get a Pokémon when they turned ten, but here he was, nearly seven, and he was already being trusted with his very own Pokémon egg. Spark handed the egg to chansey and then leaped into his father’s arms giving him the biggest hug. He then did the same for Professor Willow almost knocking the man over.

Soon enough, it was time for everyone to go home. Spark and Galvan thanked the chansey immensely for helping and she responded by pulling out lollipops for them all to enjoy. As they walked towards home, Spark waved to Professor Willow, thanking him over and over again for helping him with the egg.

Galvan looked down at his son, who was marching quite proudly for a little boy with a black eye.

“Are you excited to have your very own Pokémon?” he asked.

“Uh huh. I wonder what it’s going to be…”

“Well whatever it’s going to be, I’m sure you’ll be fast friends.”

“Yep!”

“It’s been a long day, huh? Tomorrow you have to tell me who was having a go at the egg, alright?”

“Yeah, okay…” he mumbled.

“So, what are you going to name it?”

Spark’s eyes instantly lit up and he began going on and on about possible name ideas. It was actually hard for Galvan to keep up. He had no idea how quickly his son’s mind worked sometimes and this was staggering. Father and son walked happily down the road to their little house, the setting sun casting an orange glow on their valley. Today was a very exciting day and unbeknownst to the both of them, it was the start of a truly amazing adventure.  


	2. Chapter 2

“Are you really gonna carry it around like that all the time?” Candela stared at the boy and frowned.

Spark had swaddled the egg and was now carrying it around with him where ever he went. He kind of felt like a kangaskhan, walking around with a big bulge attached to his stomach. The black eye he gotten a week ago was fading and now it was that old greenish color instead of blue. The two kids were sitting on his front porch trying to decide what to do. Candela had come and visited every day since they met and the two had become fast friends. 

“Of course I’m gonna carry it, I gotta keep it warm. And I think it likes when I hold it.” He rubbed his cheek against the warm surface and hummed.

“I don’t think it even knows your holding it.”

“Oh it knows.” Spark said seriously.

“Whatever.” Candela rolled her eyes. “So what should we do today? Wanna go up to the lake? I haven’t been there yet.”

“Sure, there lots to do around there.” Spark hopped down from his front porch and adjusted cloth that was holding the egg.

They didn’t make it far before Sai lumbered around the corner. The arcanine had become extremely overprotective of the little boy ever since he came home covered in bruises. In fact, it wasn’t Spark who outed the boys who beat him up. Sai’s sharp nose led him to the guilty boys doorsteps, mere minutes after Spark and Galvan came home. It was a bit hard to lie to your parents when such a fierce Pokémon was calling you out. Now Spark had a personal escort whenever he left the house. 

Candela stared up at the Pokémon with big eyes. The first day she came around and Sai was asleep on the porch, she nearly passed out from excitement. It was the first time she had been close to an arcanine. Before coming to the valley, she only had been around growlthe and other smaller types do to her overprotective mother. Candela spent most of the first day they hung out following Sai around the backyard and eventually running around and playing with him outside the fence.

Spark was impressed to say the least. Sai wasn’t mean or anything, but he still is a wild Pokémon. Because of that, he’s not as easy to approach or hang out with as many tame Pokémon. It took him a while to warm up to people and even longer to trust them. But Candela somehow gained both in a matter of a few hours. Sai let her rub his belly and climb on his back like she’d known him her whole life. And Spark thought he was good with Pokémon.

Sai trotted behind them and nuzzled the back of Spark’s head. Candela turned around and scratched under his chin.

“I still don’t know how you got him to like you so much.” Spark watched the two out of the corner of his eye.

The girl smirked. “Jealous?”

“Nope. He lives at my house, remember?” he grinned mischievously.

“You don’t have to rub it in.” she grumbled. “Ugh, it’s going to be so boring when I go home. Mom doesn’t like big Pokémon like Sai.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. She likes them, she just doesn’t want me hanging out with them. She thinks I’ll get hurt or something.”

“Parents are weird.” Spark concluded. It was silly to him for Candela’s mom to worry. After all, as long as you take things slow, even the scariest looking Pokémon can become a friend.

Spark and Candela walked along the path, with Sai trotting along behind them. They walked passed the corral which now had a few doduo running around. Behind it, the doors to the research center opened  and four figures walked out. Spark walked a little faster when he realized that one of the figures was Davis.

“What’s he doing there?” It seemed as though Candela had recognized him too.

“He just turned 10 a few days ago…” Spark mumbled.

“What!? So his parents are still letting him be trainer after beating you up and trying to destroy an egg? What kind of idiots would let him have a Pokémon?” she stomped along the dirt path muttering all sorts of bad words.

Spark glanced back at the group outside the building one last time. He had exactly 3 years and 48 days until he turned 10 and was able to travel with his own Pokémon. It was a tradition in the world they lived in that went back as far as anyone could remember. He couldn’t help but feel a little jealous every time a kid from the valley set out for adventure. But this time, seeing Davis with a Pokéball in his hand, he felt kind of angry.

“I wouldn’t have let him have one.” Spark grumbled and hugged the egg a little closer.

“Me neither.” Candela huffed. Sai barked behind them, agreeing. The kids giggled and took off down the road.

Candela and Sai ran laps around Spark. The little boy was taking his time, making sure nothing would disturb the egg.  It took twice as long for then to reach the lake because of this but when they got there it was teeming with activity. Spark found a nice spot by the shore and sat with his egg while Candela took this chance to play with all the wild Pokémon she could. She charged ahead so quickly that most of them hid out of fear. One oddish in particular tripped and rolled into the water trying to run away. Sai came up to Spark and curled up next to his little friend and the two watched the little dark haired girl splash around in the shallows with the poliwag.

“Are you really just going to sit there?” she called.

“Yep!”

“Ugh you no fun!” she laughed maniacally and spun around to play some more. The quick movement caused her foot slip and she fell back into the water. There was a big splash and another swear word that made Sparks ears ring. Well it would have if he hadn’t been laughing so hard. Candela jumped up and stalked off to the other side of the shore, far enough to mope and mumble in peace. She shot him some annoyed looks before ignoring him completely. Spark stretched out and unwrapped the egg from his makeshift sling. He set it on the grass next to him and draped one arm on it to hold it close.

Even though he didn’t like to admit it, Spark loved a good day time nap. He would always doze off in the warm summer days when he was out playing and today was no different. His head drooped lower and lower but something kept bugging him. Some kind of nagging at the back of his mind. No… not at the back of his mind… but something tucked underneath his arm.

Spark was wide awake now. The egg was moving! And not just a happy little nudge but a ‘I’m ready to get out of here’ wobble.

“Candela! It-it’s hatching!” Spark hopped up and held the egg at an arm’s length. What was he supposed to do?

“What!?” Candela snapped out of her mood and hurried over, but she had no idea what to do either. The two kids looked at Sai for a moment but the older Pokémon was too busy snoring.

“M-maybe we should go get my dad?”

“We don’t have time! Look, its cracking!” she shrieked. Spark felt the egg shift under his fingers. He set in down gently on the grass and lay down on his belly to watch. The cracks grew bigger and bigger until a part popped and the small piece fell off. In the now empty space, there was a tuff of brown fur sticking out. Another piece fell off and there was a little paw. Finally the egg fell apart completely and out came an eevee, tumbling onto its belly. Spark’s eyes grew wide and he tried to move slowly. The eevee looked back at him curiously.

“Hi…” he said, nearly breathless. The eevee made a funny squeaking sound and then jumped on Spark’s face. “H-hey! That’s not nice!” he giggled.

“Wow… it’s so cute…” Candela nearly whispered. The word cute didn’t quite sound right coming from her, but it wasn’t like she was wrong. This had to be the cutest Eevee the world had ever seen. Spark sat up and held the little guy in his arms, petting its soft fluff with his cheek.

“I think I’ll call you Fluffy.” He held the little thing in front of his face once again. It stared at him making a weird face.

“Really? Fluffy?” Candela groaned.

“Actually Fluffernugget, but Fluffy for short.” He grinned and this time the eevee squeaked back. The eevee, or as it now has been named Fluffy, ran around the grass in dizzying circles as soon as his paws hit the ground. He never went too far from Spark which delighted the little boy. It was obvious that the little Pokémon considered him to be his friend even thought they had just met. Candela and Spark chased ran this way and that, letting the eevee chase them around the lake. Children’s laugher and Fluffy’s squeaks rang out across the water.

“Hey, let’s go show my dad and the others!” Spark jumped up and down, almost stepping on Fluffy.

“Yeah! Just wait till that jerk-face Davis sees Fluffy. He’s going to be so jealous.” She grinned, patting Fluffy on the head.

“He probably has a Pokémon of his own now.” He reasoned.

“Yeah, but yours is better.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do. C’mon, let’s go!” Candela went over to Sai and tugged on his ear. The big Pokémon yawned and stretched before standing. 

Fluffy jumped up on Sparks’s shoulders while they walked and stared at Sai almost the entire time back. Sai sniffed the tiny eevee and then sneezed, nearly knocking him off of Spark’s shoulders. Fluffy steadied himself and continued looking at Sai. Whatever staring contest they were having, it didn’t look like there was going to be a winner. As soon as the corral came into view, the kids took off running. Poor Fluffy nearly fell off of Spark’s shoulders again at the sudden change.

 At the entrance there was a big sliver car that Spark had never seen before. The only cars out here were old and well-worn from the weather and hard work. This car didn’t look like it had ever been in the country side. Spark reached out for Candela and slowed her down. He was curious and wanted to see who owned it.

The two kids and two Pokémon slowed as the rounded the corral. It was just a straight walk to the front door left. The shiny glass doors slid open and two very professional men stepped out. The both wore funny little hats and there were all sorts of colorful pins stuck to their dark green jackets. They both had pokéballs’ strapped to their belts. Spark had no idea who they could be. He turned to Candela to ask she knew, but suddenly he stopped. Her face had gone pale and there was a worried look in her eye that honestly freaked him out. It was different from the other day, when those boys had beat him up. There was fear there, real fear emanating from his brave friend. The men got into the car and drove past them, rustling up a puff of dirt made them all cough. Spark hurried to the door and was glad to see his dad and some of the others in the lobby. The little boy ran up to his father.

“Dad?” he asked a little wearily.

Galvan quickly shoved an envelope into his pocket and turned. “Sparkster! What are you doing here?” There was a big smile on his face, but his eyes were just like Candela’s. Worried and scared.

“I wanted to show you- look! My egg hatched.” As if on cue, Fluffy stood on his little legs and rested his front paws on Spark’s head.

“An eevee? Wow, you don’t see those around here too much,” curiosity took over and Galvan stared at the little creature. He held out his hand to Fluffy who sniffed it and after a few moments rubbed his nose against his fingertips.

“I named him Fluffernugget. Fluffy for short.”

“That seems appropriate.”

“Hey, Dad? Who were those big guys we saw outside? They didn’t look like they were from around here.”

Galvan’s smile dropped at this question and Spark wished he hadn’t said anything. “Er, Sparkster… maybe we should talk about this at home…”

“Don’t you still have to work?”

“No, its fine. I can leave early today.”

Spark grinned, his worries gone in an instant. Early release days were the best at school, so his dad must be just as excited. Just then, Spark remembered that he didn’t come here alone. Candela was standing at the edge of the room, one hand latched onto Sai’s fluff. He hurried over to her.

“Hey I’m gonna go home with my dad now. He gets to leave early today. Do you want me to walk you to your uncles?”

“Nah I’ll be fine. I don’t get beat up by bullies like you.” She smirked. “Hey Spark? Uhh, if you don’t want to hang out tomorrow, it’ll be fine. I should spend time with my cousins at least once this vacation.”

The little boy frowned. “I still want to hang out tomorrow. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Just so you- uh- know. I got to go. Come over whenever you want.” And with that, she hurried out the door.

Spark watched her run down the road for a second. She was acting really weird all the sudden. He shrugged it off and decided that her odd behavior was just another thing he’d never understand about girls. Galvan joined the three of them a few minutes later and then they began to journey home. Spark was running ahead, letting Fluffy chase him around, the eevee turned out to be just as energetic at the boy. They got home quickly and settled down for the night. Sai took his place behind the house while Spark showed Fluffy everything in his room.

It took only twenty minutes for the Pokémon to get lost in his closet. It was a good hour of panicked yells from both father and son until they found Fluffy in the bottom of his hamper. After that mini episode, Spark and his dad sat down at the table for dinner. Fluffy was fast asleep on the little boys lap, his fur tickling his legs every once and a while. Spark loaded up his fork with pasta and began shoveling it in his mouth. Galvan, on the other hand, hadn’t touched a thing. The young father watched his son carefully, trying to figure out the right moment to start this conversation. The moment had to be just right, otherwise…

Actually, there was no otherwise. This news wasn’t good no matter what the timing. Galvan took a drink and cleared his throat.

“Sparkster? There’s something I have to tell you.”

Spark looked up from his plate; a noodle hanging from his mouth. He slurped it down and wiped his face. “What is it, Dad?”

“It’s about those guys you saw today, in the big car?” The little boy nodded eagerly. “Those men- well I used to work with them. A long time ago, right before I married your mom. They’re soldiers…”

“Soldiers? Like the ones who fight in the war?”

“Yes, but they’re a little different now. They don’t fight anymore, they take care of recruitment.” Galvan looked up at his son, trying to see if he understood. As usual, Spark needed a more straight forward approach. “Spark… I have to leave.”

“Like on vacation…?”

“No, I- I have to go with them. I have to help them fight this war.”

“Wh-what? B-but why?” Tears quickly began to well up in his eyes.

“You see, your mom and I helped them for a long time and then when we got married and had you, they gave us time… time to be with you. Then more things happened, and it was bad but I got to stay with you but now… now they need me to come back. They need my help.”

“B-but why? Dad, you can’t fight in a war! Wars are- are scary and dangerous and all sorts of bad things happen and-and this one’s been going on since before I was born and—“

Galvan stood and rushed over to Spark and hugged him tight. Tears were running down the little boys face and his breath was coming in short gasps. All the commotion woke up Fluffy. The eevee was sitting on the table watching them, knowing that something was wrong with his little human friend. Fluffys ears were back and his little paws were shaking.

“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry…” Galvan repeated over and over again, warm tears were falling down his cheeks as well. “But Spark, I have to help my friends. I promised…”

Spark pushed away and stared at his dad with big blue eyes. “But what about me? Wh-what about a-all the promises you m-made me?”

“Don’t worry Sparkster, I’ll keep those promises too. I haven’t been wrong yet, have I?”

“N-no.”

“No. Now it won’t be that bad. You’ll get to hang out with your Uncle. You remember him right?”

“Surge?”

“Yep. I already called him, he’s going to be here tomorrow.”

A light came on in his head. “W-wait. Does that mean you’re leaving tomorrow?”

“Yes.” He grimaced. “I wish I could have more time, but things are getting pretty bad. My friends really need help, and I’m the only one who can do it.”

Spark could feel the tears start to well up in his eyes again but tried his hardest not to let them fall. It’s not that he was trying to be tough or anything, he just didn’t want his dad to make that sad face again. Galvan pulled his son in for one more big hug. They stayed like that longer than either of them thought possible.

The next day came way too soon. A nervous energy filled up Spark and he wasn’t sure what to do with it. Usually when he felt this anxious, he would go outside and run around for a bit until he calmed down. But that wasn’t an option today. He sat on his father’s bed and was determined to spend every single second with him he could. His own nerves would just have to wait.

Galvan was busy packing a small rucksack. He kept taking things out, rolling it back up and rearranging, trying every which way before finally settling down. Spark watched his dad fiddle with the clasp on the front of his bag. Finally Galvan went to the top drawer of his dresser. Inside were three empty pokéballs. He hooked them on his belt and sat down next to his son and the two were silent for a long time.

Then there was a knock at the door.

Galvan waited a moment before going to answer it. Spark and Fluffy hopped off the bed to follow but didn’t go all the way to the door. They stopped in the hall and peaked around the corner. At the door was a very gruff looking man. He stood kind of sideways, like the floor underneath him was at angle. Spark realized that that was because he was leaning on a cane. His face was older than he remembered, but there was no doubt that this was his uncle Surge.

The two brothers shared a brief embrace before Surge stumbled in. “You look better than I thought.” Galvan grinned.

“Watch it little brother, I could still pound you.” He flopped down in a nearby chair and rubbed his leg. “Where’s the squirt?”

“Right over there… Spark? Come say hi to your uncle.” Spark shuffled out from the hall, Fluffy copying his slow walk. “He’s not usually this quiet, right bud? Oh and this is Fluffy. Spark here found him when he was egg and hatched him all by himself.” Galvan nudged his son with his knee and tried to lighten his dreary mood. Surge sat up, genuinely impressed.

“Did you now? How old are you again?” he asked the little boy.

“6.” He mumbled.

“Can I see your eevee?” Fluffy looked up at his friend and tilted his head to the side. Spark nodded and the little Pokémon scampered over to the new person. Fluffy sniffed Surge’s leg and looked up at the man curiously.

“Kinda small, isn’t it.” Surge mused. He reached down and picked him up. Fluffy squirmed in his hands and squeaked. “Hmph, little feisty. That’s always good.”

Spark had hidden himself behind his dad but he was still listening intently. Since Surge was a gym leader, he was very interested to hear what he thought of Spark’s little friend. Surge knew he was being watched. He set Fluffy back down and watched it trot back over to his nephew.

“He likes you, that’s good. I bet you my gym that little thing will evolve into a Jolteon on day.” Surge leaned back in his chair, a sly grin on his face. Spark looked down at Fluffy. Big brown eyes stared back up at him.

“You think so?” Spark asked. “How do you know?”

“Oh just stuff you learn when you’ve worked with Pokémon as long as I have. Maybe I’ll teach you a thing or two while I’m here.”

“Really?”

“Yeah sure, kid.”

Galvan tried not to laugh. Surge didn’t seem like the type, but he had a way with kids. Spark wasn’t hiding anymore; the little boy had been drawn out and seemed comfortable again. It should have made him happy to see the two of them get along, but it didn’t. It was the smallest obstacle he’d have to face in the coming months. Now came another challenge. The car that had brought Surge was also the one that was going to take him away. He looked over to his brother who nodded. It was time.

“Spark?” he knelt down to by eye level with his son.

“You have to go to war now, huh?”

He was a little taken aback, hearing it from such a small and innocent voice was strange. He smiled and pulled Spark in for a hug. “Yeah. You going to be alright?”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me, dad. I’ve got Fluffy to watch out for me.” Spark smiled. He pulled away and suddenly had a serious look on his face. “But what about you? You don’t have any Pokémon anymore.”

“That’s true. Guess I shouldn’t have let all of them go, huh?”

Just then, there was a strange sound at the back door. Everyone looked back and forth at each other. Fluffy trotted over to the door and began pawing at it. Galvan strode over and opened it. Sai was sitting outside, his tail wagging.

“Hey bud, was that you?” Sai barked and nipped at Galvan’s sleeve. “What? What is it?”

Sai nipped at him again and this time grabbing on to jacket. He gently led Galvan outside and let him go. Spark and Surge watched from the door as Sai nudged the Pokéballs on Galvan’s belt. The arcanine barked and barked, running around in circles before nudging them again.

“Sai…? You want to come with me?” Galvan asked cautiously. Sai barked happily and sat down, waiting. Galvan unhooked a Pokéball and pressed the button. A red light shot out at Sai and the happy arcanine disappeared into a flash of light. Galvan brought the ball close to his chest, almost hugging it. “Thanks buddy.”

“Looks like you won’t have to catch any Pokémon on the way.” Surge frowned. “Also, you let go of all you Pokémon? Even the meowth I gave you when we were kids?”

Galvan shrugged. “You never said I had to keep it. Besides, it didn’t like being cooped up in a Pokéball.”

Surge hobbled back inside, muttering to himself. A car horn honked and made everyone jump. Whoever was sitting in the car was clearly not a patient person. Galvan hurried back inside and grabbed his pack, Spark following close behind. They stopped at the front door and Spark jumped up and hugged his dad tight.

“You going to be okay, Sparkster?” he asked again.

“I’ll be fine, dad. Just… just come home soon.”

“I will.” Galvan kissed Sparks forehead and set him down. Surge was standing by the door and clapped his brother on the shoulder.

“Be careful out there, little brother.” He warned. “Things aren’t like they used to be.”

“Thanks, Surge. For everything.” He reached back and opened the door. A big sliver car was waiting for him. “I let you know when I get there.” Surge nodded and hobbled back to his chair. Galvan looked down at his son. “Take care of Fluffy, alright? Don’t let him get lost again.”

“I won’t.” Spark’s bottom lip trembled. “Come home soon, dad.”

“I will, Spark. Come ‘ere.” He knelt down and opened his arms for on last hug. Spark held on, scared about what would happen after he let go. But they couldn’t stay like that forever, no matter how much they wanted too.

Spark let go and watched his dad walk slowly up to the car. One of the men from yesterday appeared at the door and opened it for him, taking his bag. Galvan climbed in and the door shut quickly behind him. The window rolled down and he waved to Spark on last time. Spark watched them go, the dusty country roads leaving its mark on the clean car. He sat on the porch and watched until the car was long out of sight. Surge hobbled outside and sat next to him. The two sat in silence as the day carried on as usual for the rest of the valley. 

* * *

 

It had been three months. Three months since Spark saved and hatched a Pokémon egg, three months since he met Candela, and three months since his dad was called off to war. In that time plenty of things had happened. For one thing, Spark celebrated his 7th birthday. Surge and Candela nearly burnt down the kitchen trying to make a cake. Thankfully the little boy was better at baking then the two of them and they were able gather around the table while he blew out the candles. Candela got him jolteon figure to add to his collection, while his uncle got him a pokedex. But the best event by far was when Galvan called. They talked for hours while Candela interrogated Surge about being a gym leader. The latter conversation wasn’t quite as cheerful. The fiery girl exhausted Surge.

Another noticeable difference was Galvan’s old place of work. The research center had been temporarily shut down, due to the lack of personnel. The only person Spark ever saw was Professor Willow, but even he seemed to be out of town more than usual. It was a sad sight for the little boy to walk by and see the place empty. For as long as he could remember it was full of life and excitement. Spark was learning very quickly how fast things could change. And so far, nothing seemed good about this change.

For his part, Spark tried to stay positive. After all, things had always worked out before, and worrying just made him anxious. That was not a feeling he liked having.

Fluffy was a great distraction for all of them. What the eevee lacked in size, it made up for in personality. Fluffy made sure everyone knew that Spark was his human. He never left the little boy’s side when they went out and about, and more often than not he would perch on Spark’s shoulders and ride along wherever they went. But once you got him to play, he wouldn’t stop for hours. It almost seemed like Fluffy never tired, going hour after hour running around and playing with his human or the other human (Candela) until both were spent. His little batteries never ran out.

Today however, Spark sat inside by the telephone. Waiting very impatiently for a call from his father. Fluffy was curled up on the couch next to him wide awake, his tail twitching. Surge sat at the table with a newspaper in front of him. Every once and a while he’d grunt, mumble something along the lines of ‘idiots’ and then turn the page. Spark noticed that he always had such a serious look on his face during these times, but really it just made him giggle. Seriousness just seemed like so much work.

Spark jumped as the phone rang. He picked it up immediately. “Hello?”

“Sparkster! How you doing, buddy?” his dad’s voice came over the line.

“Hey, Dad! I’m good, how are you? Oh and Sai! How’s Sai?”

“He’s good, not as lazy as you remember.” Spark giggled at that. “I’m telling you, our friend is quite the partner. Everyone who’s met him asks how long I’ve had him. When I telling them its been a few months they can’t believe it.”

“Hehe, yeah I bet. I can’t wait to see him! You too, Dad. Do you know when you’re gonna be back?”

“Not yet, buddy. But things are getting better. If things keep up like this, I’ll be home before winter.”

Spark sat up. “Really?”

“Really. Just keep rooting for your dad, alright?”

“Okay!”

“Hey, let me talk to your uncle for a bit.”

“But I want to tell you about what happened yesterday!” he whined.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of time today. I just got to tell him something before I forget. Then we can talk for as long as you want.” He reassured. Spark agreed and ran over to give the phone to Surge. Just then, Fluffy pawed at the door. He was clearly was bored and wanted to play. Spark and Fluffy went outside to run around while the grownups were talking. As soon as the door shut, Surge lifted the phone to his ear.

“How’s it going, little brother?” he asked. Galvan sighed, dropping the happier tone he had with Spark.

“Honestly? Things have been… rough.” He sounded tired, in more ways than one.

“Just wait till your there for a few years. Then rough will seem like a vacation.”

“Do you really think it’ll be that long? I mean, things are bad but there’s chance, I mean things could change—“

“Things are always changing. Whether it’s good or bad depends on how hard we fight for it.” It was quite for a little while after that. Surge’s words took a little time to sink in. “You still there?”

“Y-yeah. Just… I don’t know. I honestly never thought I’d be out here again.” Surge flinched. His little brother sounded so different. So strange. “I just don’t get it, Surge. These people, the ones were fighting, I just don’t understand why they’re doing this.”

“They want to control the region- all the regions and take every strong Pokémon under the sun and use them. Like they’re nothing but tools.”

“I know all that. I just don’t understand _why_. Hmph, guess I’m really showing my age here.” He laughed dryly.

“Still just a dumb kid.”

“Ouch, that’s harsh big bro. Also, people here still talk about you. You made some crazy impressions.”

“Crazy good. What can I say, I’m just that kind of guy.” He smirked.

“Yeah, I’m not going touch that one. Anyway, Spark’s good? Like actually doing alright?”

“Yeah he’s fine. Gets down in the dumps every once and a while, but that little friend of his cheers him up pretty quickly. And the eevee. That thing is so damn small, I swear I’m going to step on it.”

Galvan chuckled. “Yeah, I didn’t want to say anything to Spark, but Fluffy is kind of small. At least he’s doing alright. I can’t tell you how much I worry- huh? Hey hang on a sec… there’s something going on...”

Surge squirmed in his seat, not liking the silence.  There were some muffed voices on the other end, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Galvan must have covered the receiver.

“Surge?” his voice came back.

“Yeah?”

“Look I got to go. One of our guard towers hasn’t checked in in a few hours, they want to send a few of us out to check on it. Can you put Spark on the phone?”

“Yeah sure.” Surge pushed himself up and reached for his cane. He hobbled to the door. “Everything alright?”

“I don’t know yet, but it’s just a precaution. We have to be sure.”

The door swung open before Surge managed to get halfway. Candela and Spark came racing in and jumped on the couch. They were laughing so hard it looked like they might cry.

“Hey, Squirt. Your dad wants to talk to you.” Surge held out the phone and let the little boy come to him. Spark jumped up and grabbed it, a big smile on his face.

“Hey dad! So yesterday me and Candela—“

“Spark— I have to go now.” Galvan interrupted. Spark smile dropped instantly.

“But you said you had lots of time today.”

“I know and I did but, I have to go take care of something. I’ll make it up to you, alright buddy?”

“Just like you’ll make it up for missing my birthday?”

“Yeah.” He chuckled. “I’m going to have a whole list when I get home, huh?”

“Yep.” Spark giggled.

“Looking forward to it. Talk to you later, Sparkster. Love you.”

“Love you too, dad.” There was a click and then, silence. Spark held the phone for a moment longer before setting it down again. Candela was quiet now, a worried look on her face. She hopped of the couch and when over to her friend.

“Spark?”

The little boy spun around and grinned. He tapped her on the shoulder and hurried to the door. “Your it!”

“What! You said no playing in the house!”

“My house, my rules!” Spark hopped down the steps and sprinted into field. Candela chased after him, shouting all the while. 


	3. Chapter 3

A heavy rain pounded on the roof, like it had been all day. The windows would light up every so often as lightning dance across the night sky. The boom of the thunder didn’t scare Spark, but it did terrify his little Pokémon friend. Spark was lying on his stomach trying to coax the little thing out from under the couch.

“C’mon, Fluffy… it’s much scarier under there in the dark,” he reached out and felt the soft fur graze his fingertips. “I’ll make you a nice soft nest with my blanket and –and we can make a pillow fort! We can wait out the storm together, alright?”

Fluffy’s eyes grew wider at this idea. After a few moments, he scooted on his belly and wiggled out from under the couch. Spark scooped him up in his arms and hurried to his room, nearly knocking over Surge in hall. Before he could be yelled at, Spark closed the door to his room. He let Fluffy climb up in his shoulder and then pulled his blanket off his bed. Construction on the pillow fort was a delicate process that Spark had never tried on his own. Him and his dad had built them together dozens of times before, and he could very easily ask Surge for help, but what kind of kid would he be if he couldn’t make his own fort?

Using his desk and chair, he draped the blanket over them and made a little tent. He stripped the sheet off next and made a nest for Fluffy under the desk.

“See? Isn’t this better?” he placed the eevee on the sheet where he curled himself up in a little ball. “Now for me…” Spark went to his closet where his big winter comforter was stuffed in the back corner. It became very clear when he lay it down that he needed pillows. The few pillows on his bed weren’t going to cut it. Spark headed to his door, planning on stealing everything off the couch. It barely opened a crack when an unfamiliar voice made him stop.

It was scary sounding voice, for no other reason besides it was foreign and it was kind of late at night. Those two facts never meant good things. Spark opened his door as much as he dared and listened. Surge was in the middle of talking, and he didn’t sound happy.

“… don’t understand, how could you let this happen?” his voice was low, almost a whisper.

“Surge, there was nothing we could do. There was just… too many.”

“Then you shouldn’t have sent them in there.” He snapped. “This- this wasn’t supposed to happen… it was only supposed to be for a year at most. This wasn’t supposed to happen…”

Spark opened the door wider, his curiosity begging him to find out more. The other voice was mumbling, trying to find their footing.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying that! Just stop…” Surge’s voice waivered. “My little brother was never a fighter. It just wasn’t in him… all he ever wanted to do was be a breeder… ever since we were kids,” His voice snapped back into a forced whisper,“but he was loyal to you guys. His _friends._ What kind of friends are you to make him to go back to that place?”

“Surge I—“

“Don’t say you’re sorry. Not to me. Say it to the kid you just made an orphan.”

Spark quickly shut the door, but it was too late. The words bounced around his head, becoming more and more clear every second. He pushed the lock on the door with a shaky hand and backed away slowly.

Like a locked door could keep the truth away.

Spark’s legs shook under him and he was finding it hard to stand and even harder to breathe. His breath started coming in short little gasps as tears began clouding his eyes. The truth of it all began tearing at his heart.

_Orphan?_

“No… I-I just… not my daddy…” Spark’s legs gave out and he slid to the floor. The tears were falling down faster than ever and he felt like he might drown.

Everywhere he looked in his room was memories that all the sudden made him feel weak. Like the t-shirt on the floor his dad got him last time he was in Celadon City. Or the squirtle figure on his desk they waited all day in line to get. Even the lightning bolt shaped pillow sticking out of the fort held a now invaluable memory. Spark pulled his legs up to his chest and buried his head in his arms. He didn’t want to look at any of it anymore. All the happy things he once knew had suddenly become painful.

“Spark?” Surge was at his door. “Can I come in, Squirt? There’s uh- something we need to talk about.”

He didn’t know. Surge didn’t know that Spark had been eavesdropping. Spark stared at his door but didn’t move an inch. Answering it only meant having to hear it again. Opening that door meant that this feeling, this horrible black hole that had begun to consume his heart was only going to get worse. Spark ran to the door and made sure it was locked.

Fluffy crawled out from the fort and pawed at Spark’s leg. His big ears were drooping and his eyes looked sad. He squeaked softly and sat next to the door. Spark backed away from his friend, from his uncle now calling his name. It was too much. It was just too much. A flash of lightning made his head turn towards the window. Spark climbed on his bed and threw it open. He climbed out and landed on the muddy ground. Without even so much as a second thought, Spark ran.

With every step, his feet sunk into the soft wet ground. The rain had all but stopped, but the sky was still churning with storm clouds and lighting bolts. Spark ran away from his house, away from the black car parked outside and the horrible man it brought with it. He ran faster when he heard his name shouted between the rumbles of thunder. The trees swallowed him whole.

With every step, a twig reached out and scratched him. Every bramble latched onto his clothes and stuck to his skin. Every little pain felt dull.

Spark burst from the trees and skidded to a stop. He had run so far and fast, he hadn’t even realized where he was going. The cliff where he now stood looked empty and void of life. Just a few months ago, when his dad had taken here to see the butterfree migration, it had been the most vibrant place in the world, but not anymore. Sparks sank to the ground and began to cry.

He stayed like that for what felt like ages. Time kept moving forward while he just stayed in the same moment. The same realization playing in his mind on repeat. What was he going to do now? Without his dad, what would happen to him? Why did it have to be his daddy?

A shrill squawk jerked him back to his surroundings. Spark looked around, trying to figure out what it was. “He-hello?” he wiped the tears out of his eyes to get a better look around. “Hello? Is someone there?”

Another squawk and then a flapping noise. Spark turned a noticed a spearow struggling to stand in a thick pile of mud. He hurried over to the little bird Pokémon. It squawked at him when he got near and looked just plain scared. Spark slowed and knelt down a little ways away. The spearow was all covered in mud, but Spark could see from here that it was injured. Its right wing hung limply on its side.

“I-It’s okay.” He sniffled. “I won’t hurt you.” Spark sat and held out his hand; like he’d seen his dad do so many times. The spearow screeched angrily, but the little boy held steady. “I won’t hurt you.”

Slowly, the spearow’s tense energy unraveled. He reached out and pecked at the boys fingers. Spark didn’t flinch when the sharp little beak poked him, he took it as a sign and moved closer. Soft feathers rubbed against his hand.

The ground underneath the boy and the Pokémon suddenly shifted. Spark looked around in a panic and saw parts of the cliff beginning to slide off into the water below. Spark jumped up and grabbed the spearow, running to the safety of the trees as fast as he could, but he took the wrong route. The thick mud that the spearow was stuck in was now slowing him down. The further he went, the deeper it became until it was nearly up to his knees. Spark looked around frantically for a way around, but it was too late to change directions. The cliff was collapsing faster now, almost like it was chasing him. Spark pulled his legs through the mud, cradling the injured spearow. The bird Pokémon was squawking in fear and huddle close the little boy.

The ground shook as the collapsing cliff was just about to catch up. Spark wobbled and fell on his knees. He glanced back and realized that he’d run out of time. Spark tossed the spearow as hard as he could towards the trees. It flapped it one good wing frantically and made it to safety. Just as it turned to look at its friend, the ground gave way and Spark was falling. He yelled for his dad, for his uncle, for anyone, but he was alone.

Spark reached out to the rocks whizzing past him, trying to grab on to something, anything that might save him. Everything was moving too fast and he just wasn’t strong enough to hold on to anything for long. His hands were covered in scrapes and cuts from the sharp rocks that sped through his fingers.

Hopelessness enveloped him again and Spark did the only thing he could think of in that moment. He closed his eyes and waited for his fall to come to its inevitable end.

Before the water came up to meet him, there was a loud bang of thunder and bright flash of light.

Instead of the hard rush of the sea, something soft hit him in the back. Then all the sudden he was slowing down. Spark clutched onto whatever was holding him and opened his eyes. The stormy night sky was above him, moving leisurely. Moving towards him. He was flying! Spark cautiously looked around, afraid that he was still in danger, but that’s when he realized that he was riding something.

Giant yellow and black wings were on either side of him, cutting through the air easily. Spark rolled on his belly and tried to see what had saved him.

It was unlike any Pokémon he’d ever seen. “Th-thank you!” he shouted. The giant bird turned its head and looked at him with one of its fierce eyes. Fierce, yes, but not dangerous. It was the same kind of eyes that Sai had. Wild and scary but only to people and Pokémon it didn’t like. Spark wasn’t in that category.

 Relief spread through his limbs and Spark held onto the soft feathers a little tighter.“My dad would love to meet you…” he mumbled. It was the first thought that came to his head. Spark crawled up and wrapped his arms around his savior, tears began falling silently as he was carried off back to safety.

It was a short flight, not even a full five minutes. Spark looked down and recognized his house far below. There were tons of lights around it, all tiny and weak, most likely from flashlights. It looked like Surge had woken up everyone in the valley to look for him.

“I don’t want to go back.” He mumbled, burying his face in the yellow feathers.

With every tear that fell, he felt his breath getting short again. His grief was trying to suffocate him. The bird Pokémon changed course and began descending into a thin spot in the forest. It hovered over the ground for a moment, kicking up all the loose leaves and sending them into a whirlwind. Spark held on tight until the big wings were folded.

“I don’t want to go back…” he mumbled again. “If I go back, what will I do?”

The bird turned and watched the little human curiously. Spark pushed himself up and stared the bird in the eye.

“What am I going to do?! I-I don’t have a dad a-anymore. I don’t have a mom! I-I am all alone…” he covered his face with his hands, the tears falling rapidly like rain drops. The bird jerked to the side, making Spark fall off his back. “W-what was that for?”

The bird stood to it full height. It was nearly as tall as the trees. Spark stopped crying purely out of awe. Whatever this Pokémon was, it was sure to be one of a kind. The bird reached down and nudged him with its long beak. Spark stood, wiping his tears all the while. The bird poked him hard in the back.

“Ouch! Hey what are you doing?” just then, a voice called his name. It was still far, so he couldn’t tell who it belonged too but it definitely was his name. The little boy froze. “No-no… I can’t go back…”

Another poke.

“Ow… I can’t go back there!” he spun around and tried to run again, but the bird extended one of its wings to block him. “You don’t understand… if I go back then I’ll have to hear it again. They’ll sit me down an-and tell me that m-my daddy is- is…” a sob cut off the rest of his sentence. The voice rang out again, calling him more frantically. Spark took a few steps back and bumped right into the bird’s leg. It looked down at him, its eyes different from before. S

park sniffed and sat on its clawed foot. “What am- am I going to do now? I’m all alone…”

The voice called out again, and this time he recognized it. It was Surge. Spark’s stomach dropped.

“Uncle Surge?” He thought about his uncle then. Really thought. Surge was his dad’s big brother. He didn’t have a wife, or any kids. Their parents, Sparks grandparents, died long before he was born. Was he…?

“He… He’s alone now too, huh?” he looked up to the bird who cocked its head to the side. Spark stood his legs a little shaky. “Thank you, for helping me. I don’t know what to call you. I don’t even know what kind of Pokémon you are. But I think I can call you my friend. Right?”

He reached up, the bird meeting him halfway. Spark looked at him curiously, trying to commit everything about the strange Pokémon to memory. Although he was pretty sure nothing could make him forget. Spark took a deep breath and began walking towards his uncle’s voice. Before he got very far, there was a funny little chirp that made him turn. Something hard hit him in the forehead.

“Ow!” he rubbed the spot and frowned. “What was that?”

The great yellow bird snapped its beak and looked down at the ground. At his feet, there was a funny looking yellow stone. Spark looked at curiously and slowly picked it up. Up close, it was beautiful. Dark yellow veins ran through the stone, looking like a dozen little lightning bolts trapped in honey. But what it was, Spark had no idea. When he looked up at his friend again, the Pokémon was gone. Spark nodded, understanding that this Pokémon was not the type to hang out. He pocketed the stone and trudge towards the noise.

Spark wiggled his way through tightly packed trees until he was out in the open again. His house visible in the distance. A cracking branch made him turn around. Surge stumbled out into the open, a flashlight in his hand and his cane noticeably missing.

The older man’s eye grew wide. “Spark?”

Whatever emotional break Spark was on was now over and his eyes began watering. “Uncle Surge…”

Surge hurried over to his nephew and dropped to his knees, pulling him into a tight hug. “It’s okay, Squirt… it’s going to be okay…”

“B- but Dad…”

“So you did hear… I’m sorry you had to find out that way. I’m sorry that- that this happened. It shouldn’t have happened to you. Either of you.” Surge’s emotions were catching up with him too. Relief and sorrow came out in one panicked rush and he just couldn’t hold it in anymore. He held on to Spark tighter.

“I’m sorry too, Uncle Surge. I’m sorry I ran away.”

“I know why you did… I wanted to run away too.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Spark untangled himself from his uncle and took a deep breath. “What’s going to happen now?” The question sent another shiver though out his little frame.

“Let’s not worry about that right now.” Surge stood and took the little boys hand in his. “First let’s let everyone know you’re okay. We’ll deal with the other stuff later.”

Spark nodded and walked slowly alongside his uncle. Surge’s limp was worse than ever, but he stood tall like there was no pain at all. Spark on the other hand felt like all the bumps and bruises from the night’s adventure were catching up with him. The scrapes he got from falling were finally beginning to sting. The ones on his hand hurt the most, but he didn’t want to let go of Surge’s hand. It was warm and comforting on this cold night. Spark stuffed his other hand into his pocket to keep it warm, when his fingers bumped into the stone.

“Uncle Surge?”

“Mmmm?”

“Ummm never mind. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

* * *

 No matter how sunny the days were, it always felt like there was a fog. A thick, heavy fog that never changed regardless of the weather. It could be sunny or windy, chilly or warm. Nothing could get rid of this fog. Spark was taking a break from packing up his room and retreated to the front porch. At least he could try to enjoy the fresh air. It was a beautiful morning in the valley. The storm last week revitalized the plants and Pokémon making it all look like something out of a greeting card. The effect was lost on Spark unfortunately. Try as he might to enjoy it, it just wasn’t in him right now. The fog was too thick.

He sat down on the steps and gazed out onto his home. Leaving it was a bit difficult to think of, but he really had no other choice. This place felt different without his dad and he wasn’t sure it would ever hold the same wonder as it did before. Spark didn’t want to find out if that were really true.

The gate to the fence swung open, dragging Spark out of his thoughts. “Oh, hey Candela.”

“Hey.” Candela paused at the gate for a second, looking a little unsure. Spark scooted over and patted the seat next to him. She sat down. “So, how are you?”

“Umm I’m not sure,” He frowned. “ I’m tired, I know that.”

“Have you been packing?”

“Yep. Me and Uncle Surge are leaving for Vermilion City next week.”

Candela nodded and began to fiddle with the hem of her skirt. Little paws pattered behind the two as Fluffy appeared from inside. He wiggled his head underneath Sparks arm and crawled on his lap, curling up in a ball. Candela reached out and began scratching Fluffy behind the ear.

“Y’know, when those guys first show up- I should have told you right away- I knew why they were here.” Candela didn’t look up from the eevee. Her golden eyes looked hard and focused.

“Huh?”

“That day the egg hatched. When we went to show your dad? I knew who those guys in the car were. Well, I didn’t know _them_ but I knew what they were doing here. You see, back home…”

“Candela? Are you okay?”

Her hand hovered over Fluffy’s ear, eyes closed tight as one little tear rolled down her cheek. Her eyes opened and she looked up at Spark and practically yelled.

“The real reason I’m here this year is because those guys came for my older brothers and my mom didn’t want to me to stay at home because she didn’t want me seein’ her worry and stuff but it really didn’t do anything cuz those guys are everywhere and no matter where I go I’m always going to see people get taken away and I know my mom is worrying even if I can’t see here, and maybe- maybe no one will come back. Your dad was really good trainer! Not that I ever saw him battle before, but you can just tell sometimes- he had that look, y’know? My brothers are dorks and stupid and there’s no way they were as strong as your dad! What if no one I know comes back- what if-!”

“Candela!” Spark shook her shoulders, trying to get her attention. Fluffy jumped off of his lap and watched the two from a safe distance. “Calm down, will ya?”

“Sorry! I’m sorry, I can’t believe I’m  thinking about myself right now, I’m such a bad friend… I should be trying to help you—“

“You’re still freaking out.”

“Huh? Oh! Sorry…” Candela cheeks were red. She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down.

“It’s okay.” Spark felt a weak little smile on his lips. The feeling was kind of nice. “I didn’t know you had brothers?”

“Yeah, two of them.” She sighed. “They’re a lot older than me, but they still hang out with me sometimes. Well, before.”

“I’m sure they’ll be okay, Candela.”

She looked up at him in surprise. “How can you still be so- so positive?”

Spark thought about this for a second. It did seem strange, considering he own experience with the stupid war. “I don’t know any other way to be.” He shrugged. “And besides, you’re my friend. I don’t want you to ever have to feel how I feel right now…”  Spark clutched his chest, that emptiness still growing. Candela turned and looked out onto the valley. She reached over and grabbed his hand, pulling it away from the void. She held on tight. They sat like that for a while just watching the grass sway in the breeze.

“Thanks Spark. You’re a really good friend.”

“I know.” He joked.

“You weirdo.” She sighed.

Candela glanced sideways at her friend and tried to see just how he was doing. Spark had a half smile on his face but his eyes were noticeable different. The tired sad look was the same one her mother had when she sent her away. Candela tried to think of something to say. Words of comfort or something that would ease the sadness. Nothing came to mind. She was more action oriented. So she decided to act.

Candela caught her friend off guard and wrapped him up in a big hug. Spark froze for a moment, tension filling out his frame. After a moment he breathed out, leaning into the hug. He closed his eyes.

In the past week, all he had been getting were hugs. Those awkward side hugs where neither party fully commits; big mom hugs that squeeze all the air out of you; and then the unexpected ones that also comes with a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Apart from the quiet moments with Surge, all of these weren’t quite what he needed. They left him wanting, left him empty still. But this soft act from his friend was more comforting than he could have guessed. It was just what he needed.

Spark hugged her back, trying not to get any tears on her shirt. He muttered a quick thanks before pulling away and wiping his face with his sleeves. 

The two headed back inside to continue packing up Sparks’ belongings. It helped going through everything with a new eye. Some of his things were going to be left behind and he just couldn’t decide on his own. However out of everything in his room, the one thing he hid from his friend was the stone. The shiny yellow stone sat in his pocket, safe and sound. He hadn’t even told Surge about it yet and wanted to wait to tell him first.

Surge came home a few hours later and let Candela stay for dinner. The night was kind of quiet, the only real entertainment coming when Fluffy tried to jump up on the counter but slipped. He got drenched by Candela’s water cup that tipped over. Spark waited a little impatiently for the night to end. The stone felt heavy on his side and now he just wanted to talk about it. Then the time finally came as he waved goodbye to his friend at the door.

Spark shut the door behind him and looked down at Fluffy for encouragement. He took a calming breath. “Uncle Surge?”

“Yeah, Squirt?” Surge stood at the sink, washing the dishes.

“I got to tell you something. About when I ran away?”

Surge turned off the water and dried his hands. It wasn’t a big secret that he was waiting for this story. Ever since the little boy turned up covered in scrapes and cuts he’d been dying to know what happened. But Surge was smart enough not to push it. He knew his nephew would come to him when the time was right. He hobbled over to the table and pulled out a chair for Spark before sitting down himself.

“What happened?” he asked in a low voice. Spark sat down and took a big breath. 

* * *

 

“Incredible… it’s incredible…”

“I know, you’ve been saying that for the past half hour, Willow.” Surge grumbled.

“Sorry, Surge. But it’s just- unbelievable. A legendary Pokémon, here? And Zapdos no less. It’s just-“

“Don’t say it again.”

“Sorry.”

Surge sighed and rubbed his eyes. Snoring softly on the couch was Spark, his little eevee laying on top of him. As soon as Spark dozed off, Surge called the research center hoping Professor Willow was there. He’d met the man a few times when he’d come through Vermillion on one of his research trips. When Galvan moved to the valley, the two really got to know each other and became friends. It didn’t take too much to convince Willow to come and hear the story. The other man sat quietly with wide eyes as Surge recounted everything his little nephew had said, down to the last detail. They sat in silence while the gravity of this story settled upon them.

 It was now clear that Spark had been through a much bigger ordeal then he realized. And now it seemed that he was about to face even more challenges in the future. What with a legendary Pokémon showing up and rescuing him and odds are this wasn’t a onetime thing. Willow picked up the yellow stone that sat on the table between them. He held it up to the light and studied the lines flowing through it.

“A thunder stone. Kid said Zapdos gave it to him.”

Willow nodded. “Seems ordinary enough. Looks a little bigger than most, but other than that, pretty normal.” He placed it back on the table and took a sip of his tea.

“There’s one other thing. I noticed it the other day. Spark has a mark on his hand.”

“A mark?”

“It looks like scar in the shape of a feather. It starts in his palm and wraps around his wrist.”

Willow frowned at this new information. Honestly Surge didn’t think he would have an answer. The man was smart but it’s not like he knew everything. He held on tight to his coffee cup and stared at the dark liquid.

“I don’t know what this means, but I don’t think you two should tell anyone else.” Willow finally spoke. “Zapdos is an incredibly powerful and rare Pokémon, and if word got out that it communicated with a boy? He’d be hounded for the rest of his life. That and it’d paint a big target on his back for our enemies.”

Surge grunted in agreement and watched his little nephew sleep. He himself hadn’t been sleeping much lately and the coffee wasn’t helping. Now he had this to worry about on top of the mountain of things that were piling around him. His head began to ache.

“I’m sorry, Surge.”

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry about your brother. Galvan and I worked together from time to time. He was a very talented breeder and a very kind person. Spark is a lot like him.”

“Yeah he is.” Surge managed a small grin. “Thanks, Willow. Honestly, I still can’t really wrap my head around it. It feels… unreal.”

“I can imagine.” Willow clapped Surge on the shoulder and offered a warm smile.

There wasn’t much else he could do at this point. There wasn’t anything either of them could do but talk. The two friends talked for hours, tossing around ideas and theories about Spark’s adventure. But unfortunately they had nothing to go on. But it was too interesting to not talk about.

The little boy pretended to sleep soundly on the couch. Like his uncle, sleep hadn’t been easy recently. Spark hung onto every word the two of them spoke and nearly jumped in surprise when his bird friend was revealed to be Zapdos. His head became full of his own theories and ideas as to why the legendary bird rescued him. What was it doing in a place like this anyway? One thing that stuck out in his mind was Willows advice. He couldn’t tell anyone else about this. For a moment, he felt like Candela should be excluded from this rule, seeing as she was his best friend but he had a feeling Surge wouldn’t approve. The two adults sounded pretty firm on that rule.

Spark fell into a fitful sleep listening to the two voices go on and on till the early morning. Something big was brewing and this revelation felt like the beginning.


	4. Chapter 4

 

“Uncle! Have you seen Fluffy!?” Spark dove onto his bed, tossing pillows and sheets to the floor. He dropped to the floor and looked under his bed for the eevee, but it was nowhere.

“You lost the thing again?” Surge shouted from downstairs. “Weren’t you supposed to leave and hour ago?”

“I can’t leave without him!” Spark ran to the closet and started digging through dirty clothes.

Today was supposed to be the day when the two of them set off to explore the world. His journey to be a Pokémon trainer was just about to begin. Albeit, a year late but that’s what happens when the world is at war. Two years after their move to Vermillion City, the world was sent in to a panic as tension between the two sides got even worse. Travel became dangerous as people and their Pokémon were going missing, Pokecenters were being broken into and all their patients taken, and pretty soon all the people who could fight were out there on the front lines. For a while, thing had gotten pretty scary and Surge and Spark almost thought of moving away from the conflict to Johto or someplace farther. Someplace safe.

Very slowly, things began to change. It started with small victories here and there, more and more Pokémon being reunited with their owners, battles fought and won. The when the enemies spy network was uncovered by a group of kids, then things got really interesting. It took less than a year for the good guys to take over, putting everything right and sending the bad guys to jail. That was a year ago and now Spark was more than ready to get out and see the world. If only Fluffy would get his furry little butt in gear.

Spark fell face first on his bed, groaning. “I’m never going to leave…” he mumbled. There was a knock o the door behind him.

“This what you looking for?” Surge was standing in the doorway with an overstuffed backpack in his hands. Peeking out from the bag was Fluffy looking innocent as ever.

“There you are!” Spark jumped up and grabbed his bag, hugging it close. “All ready to go, huh Fluffernugget?”

“Get the eevee out of your pack. You still need room for a sleeping bag.” He grumbled.

Surge had gotten more and more grumpy in the past few days. Just yesterday a trainer came through to challenge the gym and Surge nearly blasted the kids mankey out the roof. His sour mood wasn’t going to improve anytime soon, but Spark couldn’t blame him. It was going to be a big change.

Spark and Surge rechecked everything that was already in his pack and then added a few more things to make the trip easier. In the bottom of his bag, wrapped in a sock was the thunder stone. The bright yellow stone he’d received over four years ago from the legendary bird, Zapdos. It still seemed surreal that the big yellow bird he’d met was actually a legendary. It was also weird that it went to such lengths to help him. Spark glanced at the mark on his hand and tried to remember exactly when it appeared. Surge was actually the one who pointed out when he was a kid. He didn’t know how it got there or what it meant. There was a lot he didn’t know, but with this journey, he had a chance to find out.

The two eyed the stone once more before Spark wrapped it up and put it back at the bottom of his bag.

“Y’know your eevee could evolve with that stone.” Surge tried to sound casual, but he’d tried this too many times before. He was all about evolving his Pokémon and tried to get Spark on the same page.

“Yeah I know, but I want to see what Fluffy will evolve to on his own.” Spark smiled and pat his friend on the head.

“What if he doesn’t evolve at all?”

“The he doesn’t.” He said simply which only made Surge grumble even more.

Spark grabbed his checklist off the fridge and read it out load. After everything was accounted for and Fluffy was zipped up inside Sparks’ hoodie, it was time to go. He slung his bag over his shoulders and reached for the pokéball on his belt. Inside was a pidgey he’d just caught last month. Surge had taken him out to practice long before but this little guy was all he had to show for it. Mainly because he had terrible aim. Surge walked him to the edge of the city, grumbling the whole time. Once they got to the edge of the city the two stopped. Adrenaline began building up inside the boy and now that he was on the edge, just a step away from his adventure, he began to feel a little nervous.

“I know every gym leader in the region, so if you ever need anything you can go to them.” Surge mumbled. “Stay out of the tall grass unless you got one good Pokémon ready to fight, don’t pick fights with kids older than you and remember to always carry enough potions. Stock those up after you get yourself something to eat.”

Spark nodded. “Yep…”

“And don’t forget to call every once and a while, squirt.” Surge rubbed his nephews head, messing up the blonde spikes even more. The boy giggled.

“Don’t worry Uncle Surge. I’ll probably tell you every time I catch a Pokémon.”

“Good boy. Now go on and get out there. There’s a whole world waitin’ for you.”

Spark jumped up and hugged his uncle around the waist, crushing Fluffy in the process. Then in the blink of an eye, he was off.

Spark practically ran down the road with his bag bouncing hard against his back. He had already planned where he was going to go weeks before with his uncle helping him map out the area. On the outskirts of town was a large meadow where bellsprout and oddish liked to play. To the west was a giant river where a seal had been spotted by one of the passing trainers. Absolutely everywhere there was a chance for adventure. Unfortunately for Spark, there was also a chance for something bad to happen too. Spark had run fast, leaving the city far behind. When he came upon a fork in the road, he remembered his map telling him of another path hidden off to the side. One that would lead him right to the meadow. He hurried off the road and into the trees running straight into another person.

“OW!”  It felt like he’d hit a tree. Spark fell back on his bag, probably crushing his snacks. Fluffy wiggled his way out of his hoodie and stumbled onto the ground. The poor little thing looked shell shocked. “What was that…?” he mumbled, rubbing his forehead.

“What were you doing?” someone groaned. Spark pushed himself up and saw who he ran into. It was a girl, no boy… _person_ with slivery white hair going past their shoulders and cold eyes that literally sent shivers down his spine. They looked to be about Spark’s age, maybe a year older but definitely still a kid.  There was a big red mark on their forehead and Spark was pretty sure he had one to match.

“So-sorry! I guess I wasn’t paying much attention.” He stood and offered a hand to the other person. “My name’s Spark. What’s yours?”  

“Blanche.” They waved aside Sparks hand and stood, brushing off their clothes. Standing behind them was a vaporeon.

“Whoa! Is that yours?” Spark gaped. Blanche looked down the vaporeon and nodded. “Wow… can I pet him?”

“If you’d like.”

Spark knelt down and held out his hand to the Pokémon. Vaporeon looked at him cautiously and slowly made its way over. He studied the little thing intensely.

“This is your first time seeing a vaporeon.” Blanche had a very monotone voice, so Spark wasn’t sure if it was a question or an observation. He treated it like a question.

“Yep. He’s really calm…”

“Yes…is your eevee alright?”

Spark turned and saw Fluffy still sprawled out on the ground where he fell. “Yeah, he’s used to running into things. Now he’s just playing it up cuz you’re here...” He slowly tickled Fluffy’s nose until he sneezed. He hopped on Sparks face for revenge.

“Right…” Blanche watched the scene in front of them with a confused look. “Why were you running so recklessly?”

Spark held Fluffy out at arm’s length, his little paws swiping the air. “Huh? Oh me and Fluffy were heading to a meadow not far from here. There are all sorts of grass types that hang out there. At least that what my uncle told me.”

“Really? Where exactly?”

“Down this old path a while. My Uncle gave me a map, hang on,” Spark set Fluffy down and dug around in his bag for a bit. He pulled out a thick folded up map that had Surge’s slanted writing all over it. Blanche held on one side while the two of them studied it. “See? Right there. And further that way is a river.”

“You’re on the wrong side of the road.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Blanche dropped their edge of the map and picked up their bag. They began walking briskly back to the main road. Spark quickly folded up the map and hurried after them.

“Hey wait up!” he called.

Blanche slowed down, but only a little. “Why?”

“Why? Well were going the same way right? Might as well go together.”

“Fine.” Blanche and Vaporeon waited for the other two to catch up and them before continuing on.

Even though they had only looked at the map once, Blanche walked confidently across the road to the opposite side. They found an old over grown path and followed it. Spark waited for his new friend to start a conversation. His dad always told him it was polite to wait before bombarding someone new with talk. But this was the longest silence he’d ever been stuck in. He tried to find something to distract himself.

Fluffy and Vaporeon walked alongside their trainers, but always kept an eye on each other, like they were sizing each other up. The fur on the eevee’s tail was puffed out more than normal.

Spark couldn’t wait any longer and turned to his new acquaintance. “SO, what were you doing on the side of the road?”

“That is irrelevant in our current situation.” Blanche didn’t even turn when they spoke.

“Ok-ay… do you have any other Pokémon? That’s kind of relevant.”

“Kind of.” They agreed.” I have four with me, including Vaporeon.”

Spark waited for them to say more, but nothing. Blanche really didn’t say more than they felt necessary. “What have you caught?”

“13 Weedles, 10 Ratata, 15 Pidges-“

“Whoa wait, I thought you said you only have four?”

“I said I have four _with_ me. Overall I have caught 73 Pokémon since beginning my journey three months ago.”

Spark gaped at them. 73 Pokémon in 3 months? It was more than impressive it was, incredible. Blanche didn’t look like some ace trainer out to become league champion, that was more Candela’s thing. They looked more like research type like a future professor or something. All the sudden the pokéball hanging on his belt didn’t feel like much of an achievement anymore. Compared to them, he was just silly kid who bit off more than he could chew. Spark shook his head and tried to get all of those thoughts out. It was only the beginning of his adventure, literally the first hour. There was still plenty of time to leave his mark.

 While he tried to think of something else to say, Blanche slowed to a stop. “Were here.”

The little meadow was a lovely place with tall dark grass and tuffs of weeds scattered everywhere. It was nothing compared to his home, but still it was a nice place. As he looked out at the peaceful scene, one of the weeds began to move. Spark recognized the tuffs leaves and shouted.

“Oddish!”

“Don’t! You’re going to scare them away!” Blanche hissed. The oddish jumped in surprise and began scurrying in the opposite direction. “Tch, what a nuisance.”

Blanche pulled out a pokéball from their pocket and tossed it into the air. In a flash of light, the ball sprung open and a pidgey came swooping out into the air. It hovered for a moment, waiting for its trainers instruction.

“Quick attack.”Pidgey dove into the grass and attacked, moving so fast it was practically a blur. Spark watched in awe as Blanche commanded their Pokémon with such ease. The two worked together like a machine, not a moment’s hesitation between the two. Sometime Pidgey would react so fast that it seemed like it was reading Blanches mind. The oddish was lifted into the air and dropped a few feet away from the two of them. It looked dizzy and tired and ready to be caught. Blanche threw an empty pokéball at their target. A red light shot out of the ball and oddish disappeared inside. It only struggled for a second.

Spark stared at them with his mouth a gap. “That was amazing!”

“That was nearly a waste of time.” Blanche shot an icy look at him. “Your outburst almost ruined the purpose of this detour.”

“I- I’m sorry.” Spark stammered. His eyes shot down the ground at the sudden coldness coming from them.

Blanche’s eyes narrow as they stared at Spark one last time, scrutinizing him. They nodded, seemingly accepting Spark’s apology and grabbed a pokéball off their belt. Pidgey flew a few circles around them before returning to its pokéball with one loud squawk. With Vaporeon following at their heels, Blanche turned to leave.

“Wait! Where you going?” Spark asked.

“I am continuing my journey.”

“Can I come with you?”

“W-what?” Blanche’s eye grew wide. The shocked look on their stoic face was nearly enough to make Spark laugh.

“I want to come with you! I’m new, and not very good. You’re an amazing trainer and I bet I can learn a lot from just watching you.” Blanche’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink at Spark’s compliments. “I won’t mess you up or anything, I promise. Plus it’d be fun to travel with someone.”

“You… you really wish to travel with me? But I don’t understand… I wasn’t friendly in any sense of the word.”

Spark giggled. “You talk like a librarian.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Blanche asked, flustered.

“Aw nothing,” Spark waved his hand.  “I just figured out what you remind me of. And just because you didn’t _try_ to be friendly, doesn’t mean you didn’t just make a friend. So what do you say, wanna be friends?”

Spark held out his hand and waited. Just like with every Pokémon he met, he knew just what to do. Blanche’s eyes drifted back and forth from his face to his hand. It was a strange thing to see someone so young act so cautiously at the prospect of friendship. The gears of their mind were working so fast that Spark was sure he could see them working through every little detail one piece at a time. He smiled wider.

“Okay.” Blanche took his hand firmly and shook it. “Let’s travel together.”

“Alright! This is gonna be great! Oh and Blanche?”

“Yes?”

“Your hands are really cold.”

Blanche sighed. “Thank you for the observation, although it wasn’t necessary.”

“Don’t mention it.” Spark reached down and picked up Fluffy. He sat on his shoulders and squeaked happily. “So where to first?”

“Before our collision, I was planning on going to Vermillion City to challenge the gym.”

Spark nearly burst out with laughter. Blanche looked over at him, confused. “Welp, good news I guess. We’ll have a place to stay tonight.”

“Where?”

“Vermillion Gym. My Uncle Surge it the gym leader. C’mon, let’s go!” 

* * *

 

“Are you still moping?” Spark yawned. He stretched his arms over his head and almost punched Fluffy in the nose.

“I am not.” Blanche answered a little too quickly.

“Aw come on, you know I can tell when you’re lying.”

“Yes, how can you do that? It truly is strange.”

“Eh, I can just tell. And would you get over losing already? It’s been weeks.” The two travel companions passed no one this early in the morning. Spark learned quickly how much Blanche liked to keep to their schedule but was still not used to eating breakfast before the sun rises.

“I don’t understand how it happened… I picked my team based on the fact that electrical types are weak against rock. I thought the geodude I captured would be sufficient enough.  But even it was defeated.”

Spark sighed. “It’s not just about types, my Uncle has had Raichu a long time and it’s become strong enough to beat lower level rock types—“ Blanche zeroed in on him with a cold stare. “n-not that you’re Geodude isn’t strong! It’s just- not as strong?”

He was sinking fast. As Spark stammered for words, Blanche took a moment to consider his opinion from a more logical point of view.

“Perhaps it was foolish of me to rely sole on type strength and weakness.” They folded their arms thoughtfully. Spark looked over at them curiously. “There is much more to battling and to Pokémon then just that. I’ve been riding on that simple knowledge for so long, I grew overconfident.”

“I’m hungry.”

“We ate already.”

“Well I’m hungry again.” He grinned. Fluffy squeaked in agreement.

Blanche began lecturing him on rationing and about not ‘consuming more than necessary’ all the while they reached into their bag and pulled out a pack of dry apples, handing them to him. Spark tuned out the rest of the lecture and stuffed his face with the snack. After their first week of traveling together, Blanche was appalled at the junk food Spark bought for himself. And yet he always made sure that his faithful little eevee friend had top of the line, healthy treats to munch on. It was one of the many things that baffled them about their new companion.

Spark and Blanche had left Vermillion city with no gym badge but a full day of nothing but talk. Surge’s sour mood had brighten the moment Spark came back but it switched back pretty quick when he announced he’d be leaving the next day. Still, it was nice to spend an extra night with him and introduce Surge to his new friend. After their loss at the gym, Blanche was pretty quiet for the rest of the day, apart from dinner when they began questioning Surge about Pokémon. Surge had flashbacks of Sparks other little friend and realized that this was always going to happen every time his nephew brought someone home.

Blanche made the decision to train more before taking on Surge again and the two were heading off to Celedon City. Spark wasn’t really concerned where he went which made traveling with Blanche a perfect fit. They always had a plan, a backup plan and a backup plan for the backup plan. Not to mention they always seemed to know where they were going. It was like they had a map of Kanto in their head.

Feeling a little bored, Spark chucked his one and only full pokéball in the air. A flash of light and out came Spark’s pidgey which he had named Noodles.

(“You named you’re Pidgey ‘Noodles’?”

“Yep!”

“Do I dare ask why?”

“I had leftovers for lunch.”

“Pasta, I assume.”

“No, tacos.”

“…?”)

Noodles hovered over Spark and playfully nipped his hair. She soared high in the sky and serving as a kind of sentry above them. Blanche gazed up at the bird Pokémon with a strange look on their face. Spark recognized it as their thinking face. It always happened right before they asked a question, and being a hoarder of information, Blanche asked a lot of questions.

“You let your Pokémon out often, “ they observed. “Is that a common practice in Vermillion?”

“Well I’m not from Vermillion, I grew up in a valley up north. A little ways past Cerulean City.” Spark pulled a berry from his pocket and fed it to Fluffy. “People there always walked around with their Pokémon, I don’t think anyone really used pokéball.”

Blanche frowned.

“What’s it like where you grew up?” Spark asked. “Also, where did you grow up?”

“It was much different. Pokémon are never released from their balls until they were needed for battle. And I don’t feel like sharing where that is exactly.”

Spark ran into this more often than he could count. Blanche was always eager to ask question, to learn more. And he didn’t mind answering any of their questions. But whenever it came to them, anything remotely personal, Blanche wouldn’t say a word. They weren’t subtle about it either. They actively shot down every attempt Spark made to find out more about their past. The only thing Blanche would say about themselves was that they were out in the world, trying to learn as much as they can about the world and the amazing creatures they all live with. There was no doubt in his mind that being a Pokémon professor was the goal they were working towards. Spark settled on being patient; he knew that one day Blanche might open up to him. Although it might not be for a while.

The two of them walked on with Blanche looking up curiously at the pidgey. They reached down and grabbed their own pokéball and stared at it with the same strange look. With a click of the button, Blanche’s Pidgey appeared in the air. It looked around for a target, a reason for being summoned. When there was nothing in sight, it looked at its trainer obviously confused.

“Go. Fly. Have fun.” Blanche tucked the now empty pokéball into their pocket.

Spark had to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing. Pidgey stared at its trainer and cocked its head to the side. Noodles soared down and flew circles around the other bird and pretty soon the two of them were flying high in the sky, chasing each other and swooping down into the tree tops. Spark glance over and Blanche and saw the tiniest trace of a smile on their lips. A smile that was quickly covered up by that cloudy, over analytical look that he saw all too often.

But still, it was progress. 

Keeping to schedule, they stopped for lunch just before noon and rested in the cool shade for an hour. The two pidgeys sat in the tree above them while Fluffy and Vaporeon napped together. Spark leaned up against the tree and thought about doing the same. A weird feeling in his stomach made him uncomfortable. While Blanche scribbled in their notebook, Spark sat up and watched the road. Something was off and pretty soon, he was going to find out what.

Spark jumped up from his seat and spun around, just in time to see something duck into the bushes.

“Who’s there?” he called.

Blanche looked up from their book and stared at their companion.“Spark? What is it?”

“Wait, Spark?” a voice came from the bushes, one that woke up Fluffy. A figure emerged from the bushes and it wasn’t someone Spark wanted to see.

“D-Davis?” It didn’t take much to recognize the older boy. He was still mean looking with big ears only now he was taller and slightly more intimidating. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m a trainer, duh?” he glanced around, his eyes jumping from the Pokémon and Blanche. “What’s a wimpy kid like you doing out on the road. Didja get lost?”

“I’m a trainer too now.”

“You? Ha! What idiot let you have a Pokémon?”

Blanche set down their book and stood behind Spark. “Do you know this,” they looked up and down at Davis, “thing?”

“Yeah… we were neighbors.” Spark grimaced.

Fluffy was full out shaking now, cowering where he stood. Vaporeon sat next to his friend and looked at him with big eyes. Spark had always wondered what would happen if Fluffy met Davis, and now it was evidently clear that the eevee recognized and even feared his voice. This fact sent his mind in a whirr, but mostly it made him angry. Davis crossed his arms and studied the two of them with an annoying grin.

“So little Spork is out hangin’ with his girlfriend, huh? She’s not much to look at, if ya ask me.”

Anger and hurt flashed into Blanche’s eyes but before they could do anything, Spark stepped forward. “Blanche isn’t my girlfriend. _They_ are my friend and _we’d_ like it if you leaved us alone.”

“Huh? Pfft whatever. I was looking for a fight, but there’s no way you losers would last a second against me. Still, didn’t come all this way for nothin’,“ Davis pulled a pokéball from behind his back and in a flash out came a beedrill.

The giant bug’s giant stinger’s gleamed in the light, it’s red eyes sent a shiver down Sparks spine. He took a step back, unsure of what to do. Fluffy nudged his leg and when Spark looked down, he was surprised. The little guy was done shivering behind his trainer.

Spark shook his head. “I don’t want to fight you, Davis. But I will if I have to. Alright, ready Fluffy?” The eevee hoped in front of beedrill and crouched at the ready. Blanche edged closer to him.

“You don’t have to fight him, Spark. He’s a bully and just trying to intimidate you,”

“I know,“ he grinned, “but Fluffy wants too. I just got to trust him. Besides,” he covered his hand and whispered, “This isn’t my first battle.”

Blanche frowned, obviously confused. Seeing that Spark had only two Pokémon to his name, it seemed highly unlikely that he had any experience. Compared to them, Spark was pretty pathetic catching anything and this boy Davis has to be at least 15.He had far more experience than the both of them, even though Blanche assumed most of that time was wasted on picking on other trainers. So far things didn’t seem to be going in Spark’s favor. Still he stood as confidently as the other trainer, even though the beedrill loomed over the two of them like some hungry predator. Blanche took a step back.

“Alright Spork, one on one. No switching out, no potions no nuthin’.” Davis laid down the rules and Spark nodded in agreement. “Let’s go.”

Beedrill zoomed forward without so much as a word from its trainer, its giant tail stinger aimed straight at Fluffy.

“Fluffy! Use agility!” Spark cried quickly. The little brown fluff leaped out of the way in a blur, beedrills stinger crashing into the ground where he once stood. “Keep it up!” Spark shouted. Fluffy didn’t stop moving the entire time. Even when beedrill was hovering in one place, Fluffy kept at it, getting faster and faster with each little step. Davis had noticeable scowl on his face.

“Beedrill, slow him down! Toxic!” Its wing began buzzing more furiously and a sticky purple goop flew in every direction.

“Fluffy! Get above it!” Fluffy skidded to a stop and leaped on low hanging branch. It quickly clawed its way all the up to the top of the tree, well above the poison goop.

“An eevee in a tree?” Davis scoffed. “What good does that do? Beedrill! Fury attack!” the purple slime settled into the ground as Beedrill charged into the treetops with all of its stingers aimed at its target.

 Fluffy ducked down and disappeared in the thick leaves. Beedrill looked around in confusion, and so did Blanche and Davis. It dove in and out of where the eevee once was but came up empty every time. He simply vanished. In the trees just above them, there was a tiny squeak. Blanche gazed up and saw Fluffy perched on a branch, staring down at them happily. Seconds later, beedrill zoomed over and once again tried to hit him with its stingers, but the speed Fluffy got from agility made it impossible to pin him down. Fluffy was gone in the blink of an eye, his head popped up in the tree on the opposite side. Back and forth, back and forth, beedrill was chasing Fluffy all around. The only thing that seemed to do was make the vein in Davis’s forehead pop out.

Davis stomped his foot and yelled. “C’mon already and fight! Quit running away!”

“O-kay but remember, you asked for it.” Spark shrugged. “Fluffy, quick attack!”

Leaves burst off of one of the trees as Fluffy zoomed out and swiped beedrill on the side. The steady rhythm of its wings faltered from the blow. It spun around and tried to attack back, but Fluffy had already vanished into the trees. Spark grinned, “Again!”

Fluffy attacked from every angle, going so fast it looked like there was a whole army of eevees leaping out from the trees. Beedrill was at a complete lost as to what to do and it seemed like Davis was exactly same. His jaw dropped and his eyes had gone wide at the battle in front of him. Spark shouted at Fluffy to stop and the brown blur came to a clumsy halt right at his trainer’s feet. Beedrill hovered for a few more seconds and then began to fall, exhausted and defeated.

Davis didn’t move so Spark ran forward and caught the poor thing in his arms. He walked it over to Davis. Instead of taking his Pokémon in his arms, Davis took out beedrills pokéball and clicked the button. In a flash it was gone.

“I won. Now will you leave us alone?” Spark stared up at the older boy with a kind of fierceness that Blanche didn’t think was possible.

They watched their companion with a new sense of confusion, dozens of questions were already forming in their mind. Instead taking his defeat calmly, Davis pushed Spark hard in the shoulders. He tripped and fell back on the ground.

“You think you won? That was a fluke, a mistake. Pfft, I wasn’t even trying…” he stood as tall was he could, trying to intimidate the both of them. “Next time we meet, I won’t be easy on you, _Spork_. “

Davis kicked dirt up as he turned to leave, hitting Spark in face. He coughed and sputtered as the older boy laughed and disappeared into the forest. And with that, the strange encounter was over. Blanche appeared behind him and offered their hand. Spark smiled a little tiredly and stood, shaking the dirt out of his spiky hair.

“That was… very confusing.” Blanche concluded. “I supposed you two have a history that I am unaware of? He seemed much more hostile then any normal neighbor should be.”

Spark nodded and trudged back to their spot near the side of the road. On his way he scooped up Fluffy who looked very dizzy. Blanche looked down at the eevee and raised their brow. Spark giggle, “Yeah this always happens. He kinda gets really dizzy after using agility too much.”

The two sat down next to their things and Vaporeon climb into his trainers lap. Both pidgeys had glided down to watch the battle and were perched on their respective trainer’s bags. Blanche took a breath.

“First question, what is you history with that boy? He does not seem to care for you at all.”

“Well I didn’t really do anything _to_ him, more like I stopped him from doing something.” Spark recounted the story of the egg that eventually hatched into Fluffy. He told them about trying to save it, getting beaten up and meeting Candela. “I actually didn’t tell my dad it was Davis and his friends, our friend Sai figured it out. But Davis still blames me for getting in trouble. Still didn’t stop his parents from letting him become a trainer though.” That last sentence was just a little bit bitter sounding.

Blanche nodded, “He seems irrational, hot headed and irresponsible. And it’s seems that he had become your rival.”

Spark nodded, a worried smile on his face.

“Next question, you seem incredibly skilled in battle and yet you haven’t caught a single Pokémon during the three and a half weeks we’ve been traveling together.”

“Yeah I’m not so good at catching Pokémon, I really need to work on that… but my Uncle and I would battle all the time.” His face suddenly went red and he looked down, almost in shame. Blanche’s eyes narrowed.

“What?” They asked cautiously.

“Well I uh- I didn’t want to tell you before ‘cause you were really bummed about losing…”

“Spark…?”

He sighed and unzipped the top half of his hoodie. He opened it up and pinned to his shirt was a Thunder Badge. Blanche looked down at the badge and then up at Spark, their eyes unreadable.

“You were able to beat your Uncle in a gym battle.”

“Yeah.”

“With nothing but an eevee.”

“Uh yeah, that’s right.”

Blanche carefully picked up Vaporeon and set him to the side. They grabbed their note book and pen and scooted closer to Spark until they were nearly touching knees. “Tell me everything.”

“E-everything?”

“Yes. Exactly how the battle commenced and what your strategy was, Lt. Surge’s actions; everything.”

Spark laughed nervously and recounted the tale.


	5. Chapter 5

_The sky was churning, rolling like a rough ocean in the misted of a hurricane. Dark grey clouds lit up with flashes of lightning. The bolts cut through them and hovered above the ground, making the little hairs on the back of Sparks arm stand up._

_He could feel it. The electricity. The sharp jolt of energy that every bolt provided. It made his heart leap in his chest, drove his pulse and made his skin tingle. It was a part of him, so much so that it was his name. Lighting storms like this never worried him. In fact, he liked the way the air felt. All a buzz with energy. It was like the air wasn’t alive until bolts of lightning were crowding the sky._

_Spark lay back on the soft grass and closed his eyes, the sounds of thunder ringing in his ears. A pounding sound made his eyes fly open. A dark figure zoomed by, leaving muddy footprints in their wake. Spark sat up and watched as more went by. People were running, running as if their lives depended on it. Spark stood and called out to them, asking what they were running from. But the boom of the thunder covered up all his efforts. Not only that, it seemed that they didn’t even see him. Not one of them turned to the boy alone in the field. Not one of them made a sound as they passed. His curiosity burning in his chest, Spark ran with them, following the mysterious people as they charged through the valley._

_Rain had begun to fall and it soaked through his thin shirt quickly. Spark liked the lightning, but always dreaded the rain. The droplets fell fast and hard, creating a haze that made it hard to see. He squinted, wiping the water away from his eyes, it was getting harder and harder to follow the mysterious people._

_Spark foot stuck in a thick pile of mud. He fell and slammed his face into the wet grass. Spark groaned and rolled on to his back. It seemed like the rain fell even harder now that he was on the ground. Just as he was contented to lie there forever, a flash of light made him jump up to his knees. Spark watch in awe as a brilliant yellow light crashed into the ground a ways ahead of him. All those dark figures he’d been chasing were scattered. Some flew back, lifted from their feet by the force of the crash. Some stood their ground against the strange threat while others high tailed it out of there._

_Spark stared at the figure in the light, his hand twitched at his side, almost like an itch. There was a great cry and gust of wind as the large figure finally started to become clear. A smile spread across Sparks face. He jumped up to his feet and began sprinting towards his old friend. Spark jumped up and waved, yelling madly as Zapdos hovered above the ground. Its great eyes locked onto Spark and he cawed happily._

_Just then, hands shot out of nowhere and grabbed Spark by the arm. He yelped as he was jerked back, another hand grabbing his shoulder. Spark reached out to Zapdos only to have his jaw drop in horror. The people from before were attacking the legendary bird. There were flashes of red as different Pokémon were being called out by their trainers into the stormy night. There were dozens and dozens of them, and legendary titan or not, there was no way Zapdos was going to survive being so horrendously out numbered. Spark squirmed in his captures grip. He kicked and screamed and bit and thrashed and did everything he could to get free, but it was no use. The people behind him had rock like grips that only got tighter the more he moved._

_Spark cried out to his friend, he told him to get away, to fly high up in the clouds and hide in storm. Either Zapdos didn’t hear or he was too stubborn to leave, either way, Spark couldn’t bare feeling this  again. The suffocating panic and fear that latched onto his windpipe and made his breath come out in choking sobs. He’d lost too much already. He couldn’t let his happen. They were coming for Zapdos._

_In a move of desperation, Spark’s elbow flew back and collided with someone’s gut. The grip on his shoulders loosened and Spark wiggled out of their grasp. The rain was pounding down on him, the wet ground slowing his progress as his shoes filled with mud. Spark pushed passed all the mysterious people and their Pokémon. Angry voices shouted at him, fearsome creatures roared and shrieked. As Spark sprinted towards his friends, he called out and raised his hand…_

 

“Spark? Spark, you need to wake up.” Blanche’s voice interrupted his strange dream.

Spark groaned and swatted the air with his hands. He mumbled something incoherently.

“Spark. We need to leave.” They were shaking him a little frantically. Actually, their voice sounded a little frantic too. Spark rolled onto his back and cautiously opened his eyes. He expected some light, like the usual rosy morning glow he woke up to every day, but there was nothing. No moon in the sky and no remnants from the fire they had last night. Spark pushed himself up and frowned.

“Blanche? What’s going—“ they held a finger to their lips. Spark continued in a whisper. “What’s going on?”

“We have to leave.” They answered simply.

Blanche crawled over silently to their sleeping bag and began rolling it up quickly. Bleary eyed Spark crawled out of his warm little bed. He was just about to follow Blanche’s lead when he noticed something extremely odd. Blanche was all about order. They liked things in their own specific way, liked to keep everything orderly and hardly ever broke from their carefully laid out system. Blanche never broke from their pattern, which is what made Spark so nervous.

An eleven year-old haphazardly throwing there things into a back pack may seem like a normal thing, but not when it’s someone like Blanche. They packed everything in a hurry, stuffing their journal and pillow in one go. Spark watched as a bag of trail mix broke open and dumped its contents all over the inside of their bag. Blanche just kept packing like nothing had happened.

“Blanche?” Spark whispered. “Blanche, what’s wrong?”

They slowed to a stop, their breathing rapid. Just then, Vaporeon peaked out from the bushed and squeaked at then.

“We have to hurry, they’re almost here.” Blanche hooked their messy sleeping onto their pack and closed their bag. Spark had a million questions on the tip of his tongue, but for now, his friend was frantically trying to get away from something so he had to follow. Spark stuffed all his belongings into his bag and rolled up his sleeping bag quickly. A sleeping Fluffy got rolled up with it, the little guys head poking out from the end. Just as his shaky hands closed the clasp, Blanche yanked Spark’s arm and pulled them away from their campsite.

The two hurried through the trees, Vaporeon in the lead taking them further away from the road. Another question was added to Spark’s list: How did Vaporeon know where to go? The little Pokémon dove into a nearby bush, its tail stuck for a moment before Blanche pushed him in. Spark hesitated for a moment until strange voices creeped up behind him. He dove in after them, hoping he didn’t make too much noise.

A yellow light began creeping up, followed by the voices. Two figures, adults by height, came into view.

“I’m pretty sure you’re losing it.” One of them grunted.

“Oi, no I’m not. I saw them. I’m sure of it.”

“No one’s seen the kid in months. They probably hightailed it out of here by now. I bet you they’re in Kalos by now.”

“We would have known if they left the region, we’ve got spies in all the ports.”

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure the kid would find a way.”

They kept bickering back and forth about this apparent runaway, their conversation both confusing Spark and had him hanging on the edge of his seat for more. These people, they didn’t seem like cops. They didn’t sound like they were particularly friendly, either, that and the giant red ‘R’ on the front of their uniforms did not make him feel safe. Spark stayed as still as he could, cowering in the bushes next to his friend. He glanced over at Blanche and noticed the terrified look in their eyes. He reached out and put his hand on top of their shaky one.

The two men walked pasted them several times before giving up and continuing in the other direction. They waited for what felt like forever, neither of them even breathing loudly. Blanche glanced down at Vaporeon and nodded. He scurried out of the bushes and disappeared, searching the area for anymore dangers.

Spark glanced back and forth from the ground to Blanche. He had so many questions to ask and honestly tonight was starting to scare him. But he wasn’t sure if he should ask his questions now or later or if he should even ask them at all. Blanche was notorious for talking a lot but saying nothing. He wasn’t sure if they’d open up to him about this.

Vaporeons little blue head wiggled its way through the bush and squeaked at them. The tension immediately disappeared and Blanche made their way out of the hiding spot. Spark followed.

“Blanche… what was that?” he asked, still kind of whispering.

“We need to find another suitable location to camp for the night.” Blanche pulled out the map they had been sharing and held it up to their nose.

“Blanche can’t we just, y’know, take a sec and talk about what—“

“There is small cave just to the north of here. It looked like a safe place to rest for now.”

“Blanche—“

“Let’s start moving, we still have a few hours till morning—“

“Blanche!” Spark instantly covered his mouth. The two kids stood still for a second, waiting to see if his outburst would bring the danger back, but thankfully it was still quiet. Spark took a breath and tried to calm himself down. “Blanche, _please_. What’s going on? Who were those guys and why were you running from them?”

Blanche rolled up the map and didn’t look up once.

“Are you the one their talking about? Are you- _afraid_ of them?”

“I… I can’t tell you.” They said in a small voice. Blanche’s eyes were boring holes into ground, their posture completely stiff and tense.

“Yes you can. I’m your friend Blanche and I want to help.” He took a cautious step forward. “I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on.” Another step and a smile. “You can trust me, Blanche.”

For a second, he saw the tension release. Their eyes darted up and Spark was nearly floored. There was so much emotion in those pale eyes, so many things that Blanche kept hidden with their usual calculating stare. So much hurt, so much confusion, and so much sadness.

Instinctively, Spark reached out to them. He wanted to help in any way he could. He hated seeing that look, that pain in someone else. Spark knew the feeling all too well and hated it when he saw someone else carrying that burden, especially when that person was all alone. In another second, it was gone. That brief glimpse behind the wall Blanche had built was covered and an even stronger substance than stone or brick was blocking his view, and that was anger.

“I don’t have to tell you anything.” Blanche snapped, staring at him with cold eyes. “Despite what you might think, you are not my friend. You are not even my competition. You _were_ my travel companion, and a wealth of information that seems to have gone dry.”

“Blanche…”

“I don’t need you to help me, because I don’t need help. I can handle my problems on my own—“

“But don’t you see? You don’t have too! You don’t have to be alone.” Blanche wasn’t expecting Spark to fight back. He wasn’t the aggressive type. Even in Pokémon battles, he never made the first move. Blanche had to take a moment to recollect their thoughts.

“Trust me,” Spark said softly. “Being alone might look great on the outside. It’s… easier letting go and not having to admit what hurts. But your problems and your fears will come back, and when they do, no one will be around to help. No one will be there to catch you when you’re about to fall.”

Blanche was frozen listening to the boy in front of them. This was a side they had never seen before, a wisdom they had no idea he possessed. “I’ve relied on people in the past, and it’s never worked out well. Something always happens and I end up with more difficulties than before.”

“I’m sorry that happened, but I can promise it won’t happen with me.” Spark put on one of his best smiles and took a little step forward, holding out his hand. “I’m your friend, Blanche.”

“I don’t have friends.” Blanche spoke without hesitation. “I don’t need them. What I need is for you to leave me alone.”

Blanche turned and ran into the forest, Vaporeon trailing behind them. They’re sudden departure left Spark a little stunned. He stood for a moment before his brain finally kicked in.

“B-Blanche! Wait!” Spark hurried after them, trying his hardest not to trip in the dark night.

He ran as fast as he could, his mind going even faster than his feet. This time, his questions weren’t about the strange men or the scared reaction Blanche had. No, this time he just wanted to know one thing: Why was Blanche so against calling him a friend? What in the world could have happened that made them so against the idea? Spark had to try, he had to try and fix this.

Something shot out of the darkness and wrapped around Sparks ankle. The boy’s foot was swept out from under him and he fell hard on his chest. All the air was force out of his lungs and Spark began to cough painfully. Fluffy, finally awake from all the commotion, wiggled out of the sleeping bag. He nudged his trainers face and squeaked.

“Wh-what was that?” he wheezed.

As if to answer, vines curled around Fluffys body and hoisted him into the air. The eevee squealed as it came face to face with a menacing looking venasaur. “Hey! Let him go!” Spark shouted. He pushed himself off the ground, only to be forced back moments later. Someone had him pinned to the ground, their knees digging into his back.

“I told you I saw someone, Ross!” A familiar voice rang out. Spark turned as best he could and looked up. One of the men he and Blanche were hiding from was holding him down, a triumphant look on his face.

The second man can running up on the scene, behind him lumbered a charizard, its flaming tail providing the only light. “You said you saw Blanche, not some random little trainer.”

“I did see them!” the guy knocked on Spark’s head with his fist. “Hey kid! You were traveling with Blanche, weren’t ya?” Spark kept his mouth shut. The man picked up Spark by his hood and slammed him back into the ground. “You were! I saw you two!”

“Ugh knock it off, Crews. You’re embarrassing us.”

Crews ripped off Spark’s back pack and tossed it to his comrade. “Search it. Maybe he has something on him that’ll help.”

Ross sighed but complied, dumping everything out on the ground and looking through it. Spark’s chest and head hurt, but he was more concerned about Fluffy. The eevee was hanging upside down above them. The vines around his little body were slowly squeezing him, making him cringe in pain. Crews sat on Spark’s back, the weight of a full grown man crushing him.

“There’s nothing here.” Ross muttered. “Just the usual stuff trainers carry- huh? Oh ho! I spoke too soon!” Spark looked up in a panic as Ross tossed a sock at his face. He lifted the thunder stone up to the light on charizard’s tail and whistled. “Now where did you get something like this?”

“What is it?” Crews squinted in the darkness. Ross tossed him the stone. “Is this… a thunder stone? That’s a pretty rare thing to have, kid. Color me impressed.” He knelt down to and held the stone near Spark’s head. “So kid, are you gonna tell us where you got this? Or are you gonna make things… make things… hang on,”

Crews pocketed the stone and pulled back Spark’s sleeve.

“Ross, bring that light over here.” With a nod from its trainer, the charizard totted over. It turned around and held the light just above them. Spark squirmed and tried to get loose, but it was no use. Crews had a strong grip on his wrist that only seemed to get tighter the more he moved.

They wouldn’t know what his mark meant, right? Even Uncle Surge and Professor Willow weren’t sure what it meant. They wouldn’t know… they _couldn’t_ know who gave it to him. Crews sharp intake of breath said otherwise.

“L-look at this kid’s wrist! And his hand! It’s one of those marks the boss told us about!”

Ross slid next to the three of them and grabbed Spark’s hand. The white scar-like marking practically glowed in the firelight. The strange feather pattern was one of the many mysteries in Spark’s life and apparently these thugs knew more about it than he did. But just how much did they know?

“We go to show the boss…” Ross whispered. “C’mon, we’ve got to go. _Now_. Before the roads get busy.”

“A-alright!” Crews got off of Spark and pinned his arms behind his back. He practically lifted him off the ground and tied his wrists together. “Hey, what about the kids eevee?”

Ross glanced up from shoving everything Spark owned into a nearby bush. He walked over and inspected Fluffy, who was still hanging by venasaurs vines. “Doesn’t look like anything special to me. It’d be waste to bring it back. Leave it here.”

The venasaur released Fluffy and he fell hard on the ground. It took a moment, but the little guy was on his feet running towards Spark.

Crews turned to his Pokémon. “Venasaur, vine whip.”

“No!” Spark watched in horror as the two thick vines struck Fluffy on the side. The poor little guy was sent flying into a nearby tree and dropped to the ground. He didn’t get up this time. Tears started flooding the corner of Spark’s eyes. He kicked and yelled, the rope digging into his wrists.

“Let me go! I need to help him!” They were dragging him further and further away. “No! Get off of me! Let me—“

Something hard hit Spark on the back of the head. Everything flashed white for a moment and then there was nothing but darkness. 

* * *

 

The bright sunlight was streaming through the leaves, shining down on Fluffy like a spotlight. The light slowly woke him up. Like a beacon in the darkness. Fluffy’s ears twitched as he strained to hear. He wasn’t about to get up and get attacked all over again. Nothing was out of the ordinary, just the usual peaceful afternoon sounds of a forest. Fluffy opened his big eyes and tried to stand.

Every inch of his little body ached from the brutal attack. Even his tail drooped. Fluffy rolled onto his belly and looked around for his trainer. His little heart leaped in fear. Spark was nowhere. Those men and their Pokémon carried him off to who knows where. He began to shake, his fear overwhelming his little frame.

A bright spot of yellow from under the bushes caught his eye. Fluffy crawled over, hoping that it was his friend. All he found were the messy remnants of Spark’s bag. He pawed through everything and curled up in one of Spark’s shirts. The fabric was cold, but at least the smell was comforting.  He lay there for a while, just lay there, soaking up all he could of his friend.

All the sudden, Fluffy jumped up and began circling the area. He was looking for something, frantic little squeaks escaping his mouth. Fluffy head shot up and in another second he darted off in the same direction. All the pain from venusaur’s attack was pushed to the back of his mind as Fluffy moved his legs as fast as he could. He weaved in and out of the trees, past several trainers who gasped in surprised and even hopped across a shallow river. The scent he was following was becoming strong and soon, he was right on top of it.

Fluffy tripped and tumbled into a small cave. There was a familiar yelp of surprise as he came crashing into Vaporeon. For a moment, his friend crouched and growled, ready to attack. When he realized that is was Fluffy he sat up and stared at him, his head cocked to the side.

Blanche rolled over on their side and slowly opened their eyes. “Vaporeon?” they sat up and rubbed the sleep from their eyes. “I thought we were sleeping in today…”

 Fluffy leaped passed Vaporeon and nearly tackled Blanche. They nearly jumped out of their skin as the eevee began swiping at them with his paws. Blanche grabbed a hold of him and held him out at arm’s length. It took a moment, but Blanche realized that this was someone they recognized.

“Fluffy?” They frowned. “Spark sent you to find me, didn’t he? He is much more persistent than I realized.” Blanche stood and tucked him under their arm. They carried him to the mouth of the cave and dropped him the soft grass. “Go back to your trainer. I’m continuing on my own.”

Fluffy ran up to Blanche and tugged on their pant leg. “What are you-? I’m not going back you senseless little thing!” Just as Blanche was about to turn away, they saw the worry in the eevee’s eyes. They looked at him curiously and knelt down. Fluffy instantly jumped into Blanche’s lap and began squeaking furiously. “Is something wrong?”

Spark had a much better intuition when it came to this sort of thing. With just a look, he knew what a Pokémon needed. It was one of the many benefits Blanche had complied when it came to travelling with him. He knew when Fluffy was hungry, when Vaporeon wanted to go for a swim, he even managed to calm a wild radicate by pulling a thorn out of their paw. This unique trait was something they’d been meaning to ask about, and now it was one of the many unanswered questions to add to their list.

Blanche put aside their frustration and really looked at the eevee. His fur was covering in mud, sticking together in places and looking almost matted. Brambles and twigs were sticking out here and there and Fluffy noticeably winced whenever Blanche touched his side. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

Blanche hurried to their belongings and began putting everything away. They turned and spoke quickly. “Fluffy, take me to Spark.”

The eevee spun around in circles near the mouth of the cave while Blanche closed their bag. Fluffy raced off as soon as they were ready, circling back every once and a while to make sure the two didn’t get lost.

With every step, Blanche’s mind jumped to a new and terrifying conclusion. Just hours ago, they insisted that they didn’t care, that they didn’t want or need anything from the spikey haired blonde. The time they spent travelling together was over and there was nothing more to be said. Then why were they so worried?

A million things could have happened. Spark could have fallen down a cliff, tripped and got a face full of poison ivy, fell asleep on a vileplume again. The list was literally endless when it came to the clumsy boy. But in the back of their mind, one startling conclusion became more and more prevalent. They took him. Team Rocket took him because they couldn’t find Blanche.

It was the only real logical explanation, but it lacked something. The ‘why’ kind felt weak. Kidnapping was a serious thing to just up and do, especially since these people were trying to keep a low profile after losing the war. There had to be something more to this. There had to be a big enough reason to just take a trainer off the road. Blanche racked their mind, but was in desperate need of more information.

Blanche followed Fluffy all the way back to where they and Spark parted ways. Their lungs stung, every breath coming in a sharp gasp. Fluffy sniffed around for a bit, looking a little lost. Vaporeon joined the search with his nose to the ground. He lifted his head and Blanche watched as he locked in on the scent. They took a few steps forward to follow when their eyes rested on Fluffy. The little guy was breathing hard, his legs wobbly.

They knelt down and held their arms open. “Come. I’ll carry you.”

Fluffy slowly trotted over, his tail dragging in the dirt. Blanche scooped him up gently and carefully held him against their chest. They nodded to their partner. Vaporeon led them through the trees, the very same trail that Blanche took when they ran away the previous night.

Then there was a small clearing in between the trees, and marks on the ground that weren’t supposed to be there. While Vaporeon sniffed around, Blanche studied the ground. There were foot prints everywhere, from both Pokémon and people. There were tiny rocks on the ground with bright red stains on them, grass that had been singed by a flame, and a few of the trees were missing pieces of bark. All these clues aside, where was Spark?

Vaporeon whined from inside a bush and Blanche hurried over. They pulled back the leaves and found all of Spark’s belongings piled together and covered in dirt. Blanche grimaced as their fear was getting clearer. Deep down, they knew this had to be their fault. If they had stayed, if they hadn’t blown up and run away, this wouldn’t have happened. They’d be walking down the road, with a friend by their side. Listening to him ramble about his favorite kind of chips, or pretending not to care when he told them about his figurine collection. Blanche’s hand began to itch.

“Vaporeon, see if you can figure out where they went.” Blanche carefully rummaged through Spark’s things, not wanted to disturbed the now sleeping Fluffy.

A pokéball rolled out from under the bag and Blanche snatched it up. They clicked the button and out flew Noodles. The bird cawed happily until it realized that it wasn’t it’s trainer who released him. Blanche released their own pidgey and spoke to the both of them. “Spark is gone and we need to find him. I have a theory, but I need both of you to search from the sky for anything they might have left behind.”

Vaporeon began trotting off towards the road.

“I’d start in that direction.” The two pidgeys took off without a sound.

Blanche sat and waited, their mind going a million miles a second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now the real plot begins :D


	6. Chapter 6

There was a very weird sound ticking his ears. It was kind of like a hum. A purr? No it sounded mechanical. Can machines purr? No it wasn’t a machine, but it was steady, rhythmic, and loud. The ground was cold, _he_ was cold. It was supposed to be the middle of summer, why is it so cold? His hoodie should be keeping him warm. Why wasn’t it doing its job? Spark’s thoughts were strange and all jumbled up. It kept jumping from thing to thing only staying long enough to raise more questions.

Where was he?

What was the smell?

Why does his head hurt?

What happened to Fluffy?

That last thought was motivation enough. Spark slowly opened his eyes, but there wasn’t much too see, everything was so dark. He was in a room, a very empty room, with hard stone floor and bars closing him in. Okay so not a room, a cell. There were marks carved into the floor. Long thin marks that also clawed up the wall. Oh, they were claw marks. Whatever was in here before him, tried really hard to get out.

It was time to get up. Spark slowly pushed himself up, his body creaking like an old house. The slow movement sent his head in a whirl and he had to stop more than once. Spark scooted back and leaned against the only stone wall. He reached up and tired running his fingers through his hair, only to get stuck in a sticky mess. His fingertips were dotted with blood.

 _Oh yeah, something hit me,_ he thought idly.

There was a loud sigh that made him jump. In the cell next to him was a sleeping ninetales. He watched it curiously, sleeping peacefully in such and awful place. Still, for some reason the sight of someone else was comforting. Spark crawled over to the bars and began counting each rise and fall of the sleeping Pokémon’s fluff. He had seen a ninetales before, once when a trainer came by the gym to challenge Surge. That one was beautiful with soft white fur and a graceful tilt to its head that made you stare. It was regal and powerful and had this look in its eye that could only be described as mischievous. This ninetales was completely different and it made his heart hurt.

This wasn’t a place where people took care of Pokémon. This was a place was meant to imprison them, weaken them, and make them nothing more than tools. One of the very things his dad fought to try and stop. Up until now, Spark believed that all of this was truly over. That winning the war had stopped things like this from happening. Apparently he was wrong. This is where evil people conspired to do unthinkable things, and now he was stuck here too.

As his mind went down a dark and twisting path, Spark unconsciously reached out to the ninetales. He carefully ran his hand along her back, finding comfort in the warmth. Ninetales went stiff at the touch, her eyes opening. Very slowly, she relaxed and leaned into Spark’s touch. He couldn’t help but grin when Ninetales looked up at him. That look he’d seen in the other one, that mischievous glint, it was still there. 

 A door at the end of the hall swung open with a bang, daylight streaming in and making them both flinch. Ninetales leaped to her feet and started growling at the people who had entered.  

Spark plastered himself against the wall, his eyes still adjusting to light. There were several figures stopped in front of his cell, their voices a low murmur. Where these the people who took him? What did they want? Spark slowly moved his left hand behind his back, the hand that was marked all those years ago. He knew what they wanted, knew why he was taken, it just seemed impossible that these people would know what a mark like this meant. If he was being completely honest, he didn’t really know what it meant either. His heart started pounding as they drew nearer.

“Don’t be afraid, boy.” One of the men spoke. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

Spark frowned. “You’re lying.”

“Why would you say that?” the man asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“You hit me on the head.”

The three men laughed at Spark’s blunt observation. “You got us there,” the one in charge spoke again, chuckling still. “But that was because you were uncooperative. We won’t hurt you otherwise. Are you going to cooperate, boy?”

Spark shuttered at the man’s voice. There was something about the way he spoke. It was soft and quiet, almost pleasant. But the way he lingered on every other vowel, the way he hit his t’s, the way he was able to convey such a strong threat in so little words… this man was far more dangerous than the two thugs he ran into the other day. This man was downright scary.

“Wh-what do you want.” Spark asked.

“I think you know.” He answered. “Which one is? It is Moltres? No, no… you don’t seem strong enough. Not in the right way. Then its Zapdos, isn’t it?” Spark squirmed under the man’s interrogation. “Yes… must be. We already know the person Articuno _attached_ themselves too. It was a mad house here when they left, you’ve no idea. But luck is our side. We were chasing someone else when my men ran into you. Funny how things work out.”

“Someone else…? Do you mean Blanche?”

“Yes, they didn’t tell you did they? Such a quiet child, always has been. Articuno appeared to them six months ago during their first escape attempt. They were branded just like you.”

Spark gaped at the man, this new piece of information making him rethink everything he knew about his friend. He knew Blanche was secretive, he knew that they weren’t comfortable talking about the pas, he knew the there was a big piece of them that he was always trying to figure out. Spark never would have guessed that this was the piece of the puzzle he was missing. He held his hand in his lap, glancing at the mark. How did he never notice Blanche had the same thing? Did they know the strange encounter the two of them shared? There were just too many questions left unanswered.

“Come, boy. We have things to discuss.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” He answered quickly, clenching his hand in a fist.

“Yes you are. Team Rocket needs the power of the Legendary Birds, and you are going help us reach our goal.”

“Team Rocket?”

“Yes. We’ve been set back, losing honestly was a shock. But we will rise from the ashes of our defeat and your friend will help us get back to the top where we belong. Grab him.”

 The man unlocked the door and Spark dove to the corner. He latched on to the bars of ninetales cell as the two other men grabbed him from behind. Ninetales barked like crazy, pushing her head through the bars trying to get at them. The men wrestled with Spark and eventually managed to drag him away. They held his arms painfully behind his back and pushed him along behind the frightening man. 

Spark listened as Ninetale’s savage protest grew fainter. The hall outside his little cell block was the exact opposite of what he expected. Floor to ceiling windows looked out into a forest. The trees here were bigger than any he’d seen before and much thicker. An over grown road disappeared in the trees and near the building were benches and a low stone fence. All of it dirty and covered in weeds.

Inside couldn’t have been more different. They walked on a plush red carpet, paintings in golden frames decorating the walls. Spark glanced back at the door to the cells only to get lost in the ornate doors that appeared from time to time. This place was fancy, to say the least. The scary man lead them though the building, turning twice until they came upon another fancy door. It opened from the inside, a doorman in a black uniform nodding as they passed. Spark wondered how the doorman knew they were they’re.

Spark gaped as he realized what this new room was. It was old and obviously worn but it was a gym arena. Like the one back in Vermillion, this place had a high ceiling with lights shining down like theatrical show. The old paint outlines of the court were marred even more by the chunks of floor missing. There were craters big and small, pieces of the concrete piled up like boulders, and all sorts of scorches, scratches and scrapes. Gyms were repaired almost immediately after battles. This place hadn’t seen a broom in decades.

The scary man stopped in the middle of the floor, looking around with his hands on his hips. He turned and looked down at Spark, dark eyes boring into his skull.

“Now, one thing we have learned from our dear lost little Blanche it that the birds come to their owners whenever they are in danger. Like a reflex. We managed to summon Articuno once before Blanche ran away, however weren’t prepared to capture it. The basement is still frozen.”

Spark glanced at the ground. Maybe that’s why he was so cold when he woke up. The man began to pace, his focus shifted. “We have been preparing ever since that day to try and capture it. When Blanche disappeared, I thought for sure all my efforts were wasted. Until they brought you. The cage I designed was built to contain Articuno, but I’m sure it’ll do just fine against you lightning bird.”

As if on cue, the ceiling opened up and revealed a giant machine. Three golden rings folded out of the top. They were giant, nearly as big as the room itself. A blue light danced between them and Spark stomach lurched. It slowly dropped down over the main part of the arena floor, sitting on it looking like a bird cage. The two men holding Spark suddenly let go, pushing him forward.

The scary man grabbed him by the shoulder. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to summon your bird by putting you in danger. When it comes, the rings will close, capturing it. All you have to do is run.”

“I won’t let you get him.” Spark said firmly, holding on to the little bit of courage he still had. “Zapdos doesn’t belong to anyone, not even me! I won’t let you do this.”

“You kids are always so defiant.” The man let go and strode over to the exit. “You don’t have any control any more. Good luck, and please don’t die.” The man and his two lackeys slipped through the doors with the doorman, but not before releasing a gigantic onix.  

Spark gaped at the curling rock Pokémon, it’s every movement rattling the floor. One thing Spark prided himself on was being able to read a Pokémon. Being able to tell what it wanted, how to approach it, what to do. This onix was not something he had ever had to deal with before. It was angry and vicious and one look in its dark eyes told him that there was no way to calm it. No way to get out of this peacefully. It was dangerous.

A voice echoed through the arena, crackling on a speaker. “Onix, you know what to do. Attack the boy.”

Onix reared its head back and let loose a terrifying roar. Spark spun around and ran just as a large bolder came hurtling towards him. 

* * *

 

Blanche sat with a recovering Fluffy in the back of some old man’s truck. Spark’s little partner was exhausted from whatever happened, but was responding well to the super potion. It also helped that he munched down on all the snacks Blanche had in their pack for Vaporeon. Everything edible in Spark’s bag had been ruined, but they still gathered what they could and took it with them. By the look of things, Fluffy should be better by the time they reach their destination. Better, but still in need of going to a Pokécenter.

It felt strange trying to find the place they ran away from so long ago. The main problem was that Blanche was never really sure where that place was. When they had left, it was in the back of a windowless van, they never saw the route they took nor any landmarks they passed. Which, up until now, didn’t bother them. At the moment they were regretting not paying more attention.

Thanks to the Pokémon and a very knowledgeable old man, it looked like they were on the right track. Blanche knew that where they once lived was an abandoned gym and after asking around at a local shop, they found someone who had been around before it was closed. The man agreed to take Blanche there, a little worried that a kid would want to go to such strange place. The determined stare from them changed his mind.

The truck started to slow as the man opened the back window. “The road is blocked up ahead, so you’ll hafta go on foot.”

“That’s fine.”

“Are you sure your gonna be alright?”

“I will be fine.” The truck slowed to a stop and Blanche hopped out with Vaporeon by their side. “Thank you for your help, sir.”

“You’re welcome. You be careful out here, alright? There’s some dangerous Pokémon lurking in these trees.”

“Your advice it noted, but not needed.” Blanche stopped and turned back to the man. “Thank you, again.”

He smiled kindly and waved as Blanche trekked into the trees. Vaporeon led the way, trotting along with his nose in the air. It was remarkable that he had managed to track the scent this far, and Blanche was really realizing how lost they’d be without him. They made a note to treat Vaporeon to a week’s vacation to show their appreciation. After everything was put right.

Something about this place felt familiar. Maybe it was the smell in the air or the sound of the rustling leaves, or maybe it was that sinking, depressing feeling Blanche always used to carry with them when they lived here. Either way, this was confirmation that they were heading in the right direction. Vaporeon picked up speed as light began to peak through the dense trees. The looming old gym finally came into view and Blanche’s heart leaped to their throat. They stared at the building, all sorts of memories they’d suppressed suddenly crawling back up into their mind. Fluffy jumped out of their arms and stood next to Vaporeon, looking much better after the rest.

Blanche took a deep breath and refocused. They were here for a purpose, for a goal. All they had to do was get in there, find Spark, and get him out. And, of course, apologize. That last part was probably the most essential part of this plan. It was the thing that drove them the most. Blanche needed to apologize to Spark. They needed him to know that they regretted what they said and what had happened. He needed to know the truth about everything. Well, maybe not everything. Blanche still wasn’t ready to face parts of their past, but he deserved an explanation, and perhaps he was the kind of person they could trust with an important secret.

Blanche always made sure to hide it. Wearing shirts a size too big so the sleeves would hang low, in cooler weather there was the benefit of gloves and arm warmers which they took to wearing more often. They pulled back on the soft fabric of their sleeve and glanced at the slivery mark. The feather pattern curled elegantly, reminding them of the way Articunos tail twisted when it flew. The memory made them cringe. The terrifying attempt to capture the bird left Blanche more determined to leave than ever, but it also planted a secret fear in their minds: what if Articuno never came back?

It only took a few seconds for them to decide that telling Spark about Articuno was a must. An apology was unfamiliar territory for them and it felt like they needed to add something to it. Part of them wasn’t sure what an apology would do by itself. Spark was incredibly kind, that was a fact, but was he kind enough to forgive them? Kind enough to accept that they had lied? Telling him this little part about their past seemed like a fair enough trade for forgiveness.

Blanche tucked both bags in a nearby stump and stared at the building. “We need to know if there are any guards…” Blanche was speaking partially to the Pokémon, but mostly to themselves. “All those windows… there is sure to be some patrols but I can’t remember where… we need a way to draw them out.”

Just then, an explosion to the right made all three of them jump. Blanche gaped at the plume of fire now eating at the trees. They scanned the nearby area for answer, but everything was covered in smoke. The front doors the old gym opened and dozens of grunts came pouring out. The scrambled around the flames, obviously none of them had a plan. Red light flashed as a few of them released Pokémon to try and calm the flames. It wasn’t going to work.

Something darted out of the trees, unseen by the frantic grunts. Blanche watched this other person easily slipped inside while everyone was distracted. It was a messy entry, but it’ll have to do. Blanche sprinted towards the doors, hopping over the little stone fence. Vaporeon and Fluffy dashed ahead making sure the coast was clear. Once inside, Blanche became much more confident.

They had wondered aimlessly around this building dozens of time. Memorizing the layout, the décor, and the people. From their last experience here, they had a fairly good idea where Spark might be.

 Just as they were passing the gym arena, the ground shook, making them stumble. “What was that…?”

Blanche glanced down at the two Pokémon who looked just as confused. They hurried around the corner where a row of windows looked down on the arena floor. Blanche skidded to a stop and gaped at the scene.

Spark, his bright blonde hair sticking out of the colorless floor, was down there. And so was Cardinal’s Onix. The cage he had designed for Articuno was looming over the two and all the sudden, everything made sense.

Spark had bonded with a legendary as well. That’s why they took him.

The weight of this revelation left them stunned. So much so that it took a rock flying up and cracking the glass to get them out of their stupor. Blanche tore down the hall, a new plan and new energy driving them. 

* * *

 

Spark dropped to the ground as a piece of the floor came hurling towards him. It crashed into the wall, causing it to shatter and rain down on him. The heavier pieces made him wince in pain, but there was no time to dwell on that. He needed to move. Spark scrambled to his feet and quickly dodged another bolder. Try as he might, he couldn’t hide from Onix. The giant curling beast may have a rocky body, but it was surprisingly agile.

Onix lifted its head high into the air. Spark panicked as it came crashing down, sending out a terrible earthquake. The ground rumbled and for a moment, but he was able to keep his balance. He planted his feet as soon as the quake hit and managed to stay standing. Then the ground cracked. In the blink of an eye, a long fissure opened up in the arena floor. Spark’s foot slipped, getting caught in the crack. The giant Pokémon rattle the ground again with another earthquake. The crack Spark was caught in suddenly shifted, tightening around his foot and making him yelp in pain.

Spark pulled as hard as he could. He was trapped and needed desperately to get out. This is exactly what they want. They wanted him cornered, in danger. He wasn’t quite sure if Zapdos would really come, but these people seemed sure enough and that made Spark worry. He couldn’t let them get his friend. He couldn’t let them win. Onix was looming closer.

 In one last effort, Spark yanked his foot. He felt it shift and was struck with an idea. He reached down and grasped for his shoe laces. With quick fingers, Spark loosened the laces and began wiggling his foot. It was working. One final pulled and Spark tumbled free, narrowly avoiding another boulder. He pushed himself up and ran to the other side of the arena, his adrenaline pounding in his ears. He was down one shoe, but still hanging strong. This onix couldn’t go on fighting forever. All he has to do was tired him out and try not to get crushed. Seemed simple enough.

The only problem was he was getting tired himself.

Every step made his legs burn, the bump on his head felt like it was the size of the moon, and he couldn’t remember the last time he ate something. Actually, he didn’t even know how long he’d been in this place; let alone how long Onix had been chasing him. It felt like hours, but really it could have been minutes. Either way, he was fading and fast. The only thing really pushing him, the thing making him run faster was the cage hovering over them and the undeniable fear that they would have an opportunity to use it.

Spark threw himself against the wall, narrowly avoiding Onix lunging at him. The rock giant ran headlong into the wall, breaking it in several places. A light went on in Spark’s head as he ran to the middle of the arena.

“Hey! Over here!” he jumped up and down, waving his arms and shouting. Onix seemed completely unfazed with running into a cement wall. It slithered forward and roared, rearing back for an attack. Seconds before it stuck, there was another loud boom coming from behind him. Spark jumped at the sound, thinking for a second that it was another earthquake. But Onix looked just as confused as him.

Another boom.

The cracked wall behind Onix started falling away. Spark stared at it, his jaw dropped. Someone was breaking it from the other side. Boom after boom, pieces fell to the floor. He wasn’t the only one who noticed. Onix swung his big head around and roared angrily at the possible intruder.

“H-hey! Don’t look over there!” Spark shouted. “Look at me! C’mon, over here!” try as he might, he just couldn’t get the Pokémon’s attention. Whoever was on the other side of that wall was about to get an up close look at a very hostile giant. Spark took a step forward, stubbing his socked foot on a rock. He quickly picked it up and flung it towards the Onix.

“Over here!” he threw another and another, all of them bouncing off his rocky body. “ _C’mon_!” the wall was almost there. The hole was big enough to fit his head though. In one last ditch effort, Spark ran after Onix and leaped on his tail.

That definitely got his attention. Onix reared back, it giant head whipped back and looking for the boy. Spark clutched on to the rocky tail for dear life as it thrashed this way and that. He yelped as Onix lifted his tail high and the air and began shaking it like an excited growlithe. This might not have been the best idea.

The broken wall shattered, dust and debris flying from the area. Spark tried to see who it was, but there was too much going on. The only thing he really could do was hold on. Suddenly water shot out at Onix, hitting it square in the jaw. It fell to the side and growled angrily. Spark took this moment and hopped off the tail, seconds before Onix stared squirming again. He ducked as the tail thrashed overhead, tearing at the concrete.

The dust slowly began to settle and Spark squinted to see who was standing in the newly torn hole.

“Vaporeon! Again!” It only took a second for him to recognize Blanche’s voice. Vaporeon dashed out from out of nowhere. He planted his little paw in the ground and shot a stream of water at Onix. Spark hopped up and ran to his friend, a smile slowly growing on his face.

“Blanche!” he called to them and waved.

Blanche turned and spotted them, relief washing over their features. Just then, Onix slammed his tail on the ground, blocking the two from reaching each other. Spark slid to a stop, scraping his knees on the hard floor. Blanche’s voice called out his name, but the rumble of Onix’s roar covered up the rest. The Pokémon’s full attention was back on the boy, his whole body slowly encircling him. Spark scurried as fast as he could, his panic making him trip and hard to focus. His back slammed into a wall and he quickly realized that he was cornered. There was no way out.

Onix lifted his giant tail over Spark, the shadow filling him with dread. There was no way he could run. Onix was too quick and he was just a few feet away from him. He’d be crushed no matter which way he went. Spark closed his eyes and hoped that Zapdos wouldn’t come.

A bright light flashed, filling Spark with dread. He could feel the electricity in the air. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he could feel goosebumps on his arms. It had happened. Zapdos was here. He wished so hard that Zapdos wasn’t here. Spark kept his eyes closed because he didn’t want to see it. He didn’t want to see the cage drop down and his friend struggling against the evil contraption. He didn’t want to see the betrayal, the hurt that was sure to be there when Zapdos realized what happened. It was just too much. He couldn’t… he just couldn’t handle losing someone else. Spark pulled his knees to his chest and covered his ears. He didn’t want to hear what was about to happen.

Something soft nuzzled his arm. A funny little sting made him shy away. The fuzzy thing tried again, this time two paws rested on his leg. Spark slowly opened his eyes. Two familiar brown eyes stared back at him, but the rest was completely new.

“F-Fluffy…?” Spark stared at the jolten, absolutely sure that it was his friend. “You’re- you’re okay!” Fluffy leaped into Sparks face squealing with joy. He hugged his little friend close, tears of relief streaming down his face. Zapdos wasn’t here, and Fluffy was safe. It was unbelievable. “I-I can’t believe you evolved! Wait till Uncle Surge hears about this!”

“Spark! Get up!” Blanche’s voice sounded urgent. “That Onix is getting back up!”

Spark didn’t waist a second to see if that were true. He raced towards his friend, Fluffy at his side. “Blanche!” he scooped up his friend in a hug as soon as he got close. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

Blanche squirmed in his grip, obviously uncomfortable with the sudden affection. “M-me? Of course I’m fine, you dolt! But we’ve got to go, now. Before any of them come this way.”

Spark set them down and nodded. Blanche lead the way, Fluffy and Vaporeon trailing behind incase Onix managed to squeeze through the hole they created. An alarm was blearing in the background as a red light flashed down every hall.

“How did you know where to find me?” Spark asked while they ran.

“It’s a long story, one that will have to wait. We need to get out of- oof!” just as Blanche turned the corner, another person did the same. They ran right into each other sending each of them flying. Spark hurried over to Blanche who already had a red mark on their forehead.

The other person jumped up and started shouting. “Hey! Watch where you going, you ass- wait. Spark?”

“Huh? Ca-Candela!” Spark gaped at the girl in front of him. Her hair was a little longer and she definitely had a growth spurt, other than that she looked just same as when they were little kids.

“Spark!” She practically jumped on him, wrapping him up in a bone crushing hug.

“Candela! I can’t believe it’s you! W-what are you doing here?”

“Me? These jerks stole my ninetales. What are you doing here?” she let him go and suddenly gasped. “And why does it look like a hitmonchan used you for a punching bag?”

“Oh, that’s kinda a long story…”

“One that will have to wait.” Blanche grabbed onto Spark’s arm, one hand rubbing their head. “We need to get out of here.”

Candela and Blanche looked at each other, the same look suddenly washing over them. They both began to shout at the same time. “OH NO NOT YOU AGAIN.”

Spark looked back and forth between the two. “Wait, you guys know each other? When did this happened?!”

Blanche pushed passed them. “There’s no time! We have to leave before they,“ voices rang out over the sirens. Dozens of them, all looking for the three kids now standing helpless in the middle of a hallway. Blanche grabbed both Spark and Candela by their arms and began dragging them away. “We’re leaving. Now.”

“The hell I am!” Candela wiggled out of their grasps and took a step back. Her eyes burning. “I came here to get my ninetales back and I am not leaving without her.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. There are too many people here due to the commotion, and now they’re all looking for us.”

“And whose fault was that! I didn’t blow a giant hole in the wall and make the whole building shake. That was all you, frosty.”

“I did what I had to do to rescue Spark. And if you were going for subtly, setting part of the forest on fire wasn’t the best way to go.”

“It was a diversion! And it would have worked if you hadn’t showed up and blown my cover. Literally!”

 “I’m sure you would have found a way to do that on your own.”

Spark was edged out of the group, watching from the outside as his two friends were at each other’s throats.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Candela snapped.

“It means you are loud, hot-headed and if left alone, I’m positive you would have set the whole building on fire.”

“Oh yeah? Well you’re a stuffy little know-it-all!”

“That wasn’t a very creative insult.”

“Why you—!”

“Guys cut it out!” Spark pushed himself in between the two. He held them both by the shoulders, his own frustration growing. “We don’t have time for this! Candela, I know where your ninetales is. We’re going to help you get her back. And Blanche? I know this isn’t the plan you had in mind, but plans change and you just gotta learn to roll with it. And the both of you are going to stop fighting until we are far away from this place. Okay?”

Candela looked floored at the scolding while Blanche was staring straight at the ground, their cheeks flush with embarrassment. Spark slowly let go a little afraid that they might go at each other again. There wasn’t enough time to find out if his tactic worked. An arbok came slithering down the hall at break neck speed, its jaws wide open.

“F-Fluffy! Thunder!” Spark stuttered over his shoulder as he pushed his friends in the right direction. There was a bang and then a crash that made his heart leap in his chest. Spark glanced back and grinned when Fluffy turned the corner unscathed.

The three of them barreled down the hall, Spark pushing himself to the front. The way to his cell easy enough to remember, but when he finally reached the hall he was at a lost for which door the cells were behind. The shiny gold frames, the ornate doors, everything looked the same. There was no way they could try all the doors with Team Rocket breathing down their necks. Blanche hurried on ahead, pausing by door as they went by. They pulled the handle.

“Here!” Blanche held open the door as Candela raced in.

“Nina! You’re alright.” Candela hugged her ninetales as best she could through the thick bars. He eyes shiny like she was on the verge of tears. Spark grinned, happy to see the ninetales that had comforted him earlier so happy. 

“I don’t see a key.” Blanche murmured. Spark looked around and noticed they were right.

“Then how do we get her out?”

“It’s fine.” Candela turned to them. “I brought her pokéball.” She held the miraculous little device and wedged it in between the bars. Nina disappeared in a flash. Candela held the ball close the chest for a just a moment before standing. “Alright, let’s get out of here.”

The other two nodded and headed out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

“OW! That was my foot!”

“Sorry-- Spark, where’s your shoe??”

“Errr…”

“Quiet you two.”

“Sorry Blanche… OW, Candela!”

“Oops.”

The three kids huddled together uncomfortably in their hiding spot. All of them hugging their backpacks close to try and make themselves smaller. They had run a good deal. The fire Candela’s flareon set off only grew, engulfing a good chunk of the trees in front of the building. Apparently Candela instructed her Pokémon to keep the fire going unit she got out.  As soon as they got out of the building, Flareon was running towards them. Carrying, or mostly dragging Candela’s bag behind them. Once they grabbed the rest of their things, they took off in the opposite direction.

Spark was overwhelmed at everything going on around him, and he definitely wanted to curl up with Fluffy in his sleeping bag as soon as possible. The impending danger and his need for answers over shadowing his want for rest.

As per usual, Blanche and Vaporeon led them like they knew exactly where to go. They ducked underneath a large tree; its old thick roots rising out of the ground making the perfect little hiding spot. It was just a little too small for any adult to fit, but perfect for them. The three of them sat in silence while their Pokémon scouted the area. The wait only made Spark more anxious.

The surrounding bushes all shook at the same time. Vaporeon and Flareon leaped out of the bushes gracefully, while the newly evolved jolteon face-planted. He recovered quickly though, and hurried to join the others.

“Looks like the coast is clear.” Spark shuffled out of their hiding spot.

“Yes. We should find the closest town and settled down for the night.” Blanche glanced over at Spark. “And get you another shoe.”

Spark wiggled his socked foot and stifled a laugh. Candela was oddly quiet during this time, looking back and forth between the other two, trying to figure out what their relationship was. Spark could make friends with anyone. That much was certain. But why did he choose someone like them. And why in hell did Spark look so, so messed up? It was like the first day they met all over again, and she knew that Blanche had something to do with it.

She kept all her anger inside for the time being. Waiting until they were safe and warm before getting all her answers. Needless to say, it drove her up the wall.

Blanche, Spark and Candela stuck the trees and made their way to a tiny town. It was road stop for most people. A shop over here, a pokécenter there, a police station and not much else to brag about. Still there were plenty of people to hide them and plenty of places to hide. It was as good as it could get.

Within ten minutes of entering the little town, the old man who drove Blanche spotted the strange child and the even stranger company that followed them. He took one look at the tired, bruised kids and practically forced them to stay with him. Oddly enough, the man actually owned the shop in town. He lived behind it, in a little house built right up next to the store. Due to its tiny size, the trio got to stay in the attic above the shop and away from prying eyes. They had a lot to talk about between the three of them and the one thing they all agreed on was the need for privacy.

Spark sat in the middle of the floor, his hair still dripping wet from his shower. They took turns after dinner, all of them taking longer than usual. Spark just stood under the hot water for a solid ten minutes, letting the water wash away all the dust and grime from the past however many hours. Totally worth getting all prune-y.

Blanche had pulled back their long white hair and was meticulously sorting through their first aid kit. They insisted on patching up Spark and sat him down before he even had a chance to say no.

“You don’t really have to do this…” he mumbled, Fluffy on his lap munching on some berries.

Blanche glared at him. “Do you want an infection? This is going to sting.” They pressed a disinfectant wipe on his scraped up knee. Spark winced. Blanche held it there until the sting was gone; making sure the wound was clean. They let it dry for a few seconds and then put on a bandage. This process repeated a few times. Sting, wince, bandage, all the while, Spark was forced to hold an ice pack on the bump on his head. It seemed a little like over kill, after all there was nothing serious to worry about, but still he let Blanche take the lead and do what they felt was needed.

Blanche slowly began packing away the first aid kit, a good chunk of its supplies now in use. They tucked a loose strand of hair behind their ears and took a deep breath. They were struggling with something, that much was obvious. For a moment, Spark wondered if he should ask but immediately decided against it. If their last heart to heart was anything to go on, it was best not to pry. Even if the intentions were good.

“Spark?” Blanche spoke softly, their eyes on the ground.

“What’s up?”

“I- I wanted to apologize. For my words the other day.”

“It’s okay, Blanche. You don’t have to do that.” He tried to catch their eye, but they were avoiding him.

“No. It’s not okay. I didn’t treat you like a friend. I shut you out, and put you in unnecessary danger. My actions were hasty and I was foolish. Please, forgive me.”

Spark wasn’t expecting this. An apology, maybe but a plea for forgiveness? The way they were talking, eyes down, shoulders slumped, it was like they committed some horrible crime and were begging for mercy. He sat there for a few moments too long, stunned by his strange friend.

“In exchange for your forgiveness, I will tell you everything you wish to know about my relation with those people-“

“Whoa, whoa! Exchange?” Spark covered his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter. “B-Blanche, you don’t need to ‘exchange’ anything. Of course I forgive you! You’re my friend. We’re allowed to fight every once and a while.”

Blanche frowned. “This friendship concept doesn’t make any logical sense.”

“If it did, everyone would probably be alone.”

“I think your right in that assumption.” They nodded thoughtfully, crossing their arms. There was the tiniest hint of a smile pulling at their lips.  Spark grinned, happy to see them acting normal again. Still, it hurt to see that Blanche was so unfamiliar with friendship. Was it possible that they never had a real friend in their entire life?

“Spark, there are still things I want to tell you.” Blanche’s smile was gone, but at least they didn’t look so sad anymore. Spark sat up and nodded. “I suspect they already told you, but… like you I have bonded with a legendary.”

Blanche held out their hand and pulled back their sleeve, a similar mark shimmering in the dim light.  Even though he already knew it was there, he felt his breath hitch when he looked at their palm. It was similar, pale and scar-like following the same trail as his, but there were some differences. Blanche’s mark smoother, the thick center line of the feather curling at the ends in a sort of elegant way. Each little piece flowed, like it was swaying in the wind.

 Spark held up his own hand next to theirs. The lines on his mark were sharper, reminding him of Fluffy’s spiky fur and Zapdos’s wings. The two of them stared at the others hand.

“We should wait for Candela.” Spark switched to petting Fluffy. The yellow fur on his face was tinged blue from his snack.

Blanche nodded. “Yes. I suppose we should. I assume she already knows about that?”

“Actually, she doesn’t.”

“Really? Why is that?”

“Uh…” his cheeks felt warm.

“You’ll explain soon enough.” They answered for him.

A few minutes later, Candela came back upstairs with a towel wrapped around her head. She grinned at Spark, grimaced at Blanche and plopped down on the floor. Flareon crawled out from her bag and sat next to her, waiting for attention.

She turned to Spark. “Okay. Were safe, fed and cleaned up. Can I please start yelling again?”

“Yeah no,” he sighed. “There’s a lot we need to talk about and yelling isn’t going to get us anywhere.”

“Ugh, you are no fun…”

“Spark is right.” Blanche scooted next to the two of them, completing the circle. “I believe the best place to start is with me, seeing that I have spoken the least about myself-“

“Tch, yeah you would say that.” Candela faked a whisper.

“What are you implying?”

“That you’re annoying.”

“And you are absurd.”

“You dirty little—!”

Spark clapped a hand over Candela’s mouth. “Enough will you? We’re never going to get anywhere with you two fighting all the time. Candela, licking my hand won’t do anythin- OW!” he yelped and pulled his hand back. “I can’t believe you bit me!”

“Pfft, yes you can.” She grinned, a wicked glint in her eye. “Alright, I’m going to be in charge of the questions. And before you go getting all worked up Blanchey, I have a good reason.”

“And that is?” Blanche frowned. The nickname clearly wasn’t sitting well with them.

“You guys already know why I was in that creepy place. I still have no idea what chaos you caused, and why Spark got beat up again.”

Spark and Blanche looked at one another, realizing that this was in fact a very good point. She continued.

“Okay. Spark,” she shifted so that she was facing him. “What happened in there?”

“Well… you see, there’s kind of a lot I have to tell you for it all make sense…”

“We have the time, y’know.”

“Okay, just… don’t get mad.” Candela frowned at this, confused. Spark took a deep breath and started at the beginning.

 

 

“… and then that guy set loose an onix, trying to get Zapdos to show up so he could catch it. I was terrified. I didn’t want that to happen, and if Blanche hadn’t shown up when they did… I don’t know, but things would have been bad. Like, really bad. We got out of there and then we ran in to you.”

Both Candela and Blanche stared at the boy, their faces completely unreadable. Spark told them everything, from the night he first encountered the legendary bird to the night he got captured. It felt like he was talking for hours, talking so much that his throat felt dry. Silence wasn’t the first thing he expected.

He looked up at Candela, hoping she wouldn’t be mad that he’d kept this secret from her. She glanced down at his hand, the mark feeling like a beacon attached to his arm.

“You said Zapdos came the night of that big storm… wasn’t that the same night that…” her voice shrunk, looking up at him with big worried eyes. Spark nodded, an old ache settling in his chest.

“The night that what?” Blanche asked cautiously.

Candela glared at them, looking furious. But still, she held her tongue and waited for Spark to answer. “That night was the same night I found out my dad had died. He- uh fought in the war.” The words still hurt. Not the crushing, suffocating hurt like before. More like a bruise, only painful when you put pressure on it.

“I am sorry Spark. I had suspected that, the few times you spoke of him. But still, I am very sorry.” Blanche sounded sincere, and Spark appreciated the gesture. But Candela didn’t see it that way.

“You should be sorry.” She snapped. “Your part of the group they were fighting! Didn’t you know that Spark? They’re one of them!”

“Candela, calm down. I know—“

“I am done being calm!” she jumped to her feet, the towel falling onto her shoulders. “They’re apart of Team Rocket! Wanna know how I know? How we met? Lavender Town, almost a year ago. I was passing through late one night when I saw smoke. The pokécenter was being raided and a bunch of thugs were taking all the Pokémon they could get their hands on. And guess who was with them? That’s right! Blanche. Right there in the middle of it all, in the middle of a CRIME. I was able to stall them with Nina while the police showed up. Still, most of them got away. Blanche got away. Not before I socked you in the face of course.” She smirked at the memory, her hands on her hips.

Blanche turned away, not saying a word or letting a single emotion show. They stood slowly and made their way to the window, staring out into the clear night sky. Spark knew that the story was true. One look at the way they had reacted was proof enough. That and Candela wasn’t one to lie about something like this. But there had to be an explanation. A reason why Blanche would help them kidnap injured Pokémon. There had to be a reason.

Spark glanced up at his fiery friend, hoping he could find a way to calm her like he used to when they were kids. He chose his words carefully. “I know that Blanche used to be a part of Team Rocket. That guy told me when I was in there. But Candela, they aren’t anymore. Blanche is my friend, and there’s a got to be a reason. I mean, they ran away right? Let Blanche tell their side-“

“Oh come on, Spark! You can’t seriously be defending them right now?”

“Yes I am. Remember, they saved me.”

“Yeah, only after they got you in caught in the first place. I mean come on! How do you know we can even trust them?!”

Spark was on his feet too, hand clenched into fists. “Because I just do, alright? Can you just drop it and let them explain themselves, you’ll understand-“

“I already understand. Y’know your stupid ‘be friends with everyone that breathes’ thing is really getting old. One day, it’s going to get you in trouble. Oh wait! It already has!”

“Candela, knock it off.”

“For all we know, someone Blanche knows is the reason your dad is gone-“

“Candela, stop.”

“—maybe their uncle or mom or whatever is the reason my brother can’t walk-“

There was a crack of thunder in background. “Just- shut up!” 

“NO! Not until you admit it!” She jabbed him with her finger.

“Admit what!?”

“That trusting Blanche was a mistake, a mistake that nearly got you killed.”

“You don’t know that! Team Rocket would have found me eventually-“

“You don’t know that! C’mon Spark, use your head for once!”

“I am. And right now it’s telling me that you’re being a jerk!”

“You’re the jerk, _jerk_!”

Blanche’s face had gone pale during the fight, their eyes flicking back and forth from the two of them to the window. They scooted closer, hands hovering near the angry kids. “You need to stop.” Neither Spark nor Candela seemed to hear. Both were too busy shouting at each other. Blanche began to panic, the storm clouds rolling in rapidly over the little town. “Please, calm down.” They said urgently.

“I can’t believe you lied to me all these years. “ Candela jumped to another topic, startling Spark for a second.

“W-what? Oh come on, you said you understood! Uncle Surge made me promise not to tell anyone!”

“Well you should have told me! We were best friends Spark and you lied! And yet you told Frosty over here like it was no big deal-“

“Hey, I didn’t say a word until I really needed too. And besides, Blanche figured it out on their own!”

“You should have told me.”

“I couldn’t!”

“Stop making excuses!”

“You stop—!“

Blanche grabbed the both of them by their shirt collars and yanked them closer. “Both of you need stop right now.” They weren’t yelling, but the fierceness in their voice caught the both of them off guard. The look in their eyes was even more intimidating then Candela on a bad day. They stared at Blanche, dumbstruck. “Spark, you need to calm down.”

“What? Why me?” Being singled out was definitely unfair.

“Look outside.”

He did was he was told and looked past Blanche. The sky was flooded with grey storm clouds, curling around each other and growing larger. Thunder boomed in the distance and faint flashes of lightning could be seen in the clouds depths. Spark gaped at the sight.

Blanche let go of the two of them and turned to him, “Look at your hand.” He glanced down at his fist and slowly let it relax. The mark on his hand was glowing faintly. A soft yellow light radiated from the pattern. Hesitantly, Spark traced the line with his fingertips. It felt warm.

“Cardinal was wrong when he assumed that danger was the only thing that could summon one of the birds. Strong emotions can do the same. And there is no stronger emotion than anger.”

“Who’s Cardinal?” Spark asked, his attention momentarily shifted.

“He is the one of the top ranking scientist in Team Rocket. Most of his intelligence is spent researching fast ways to improve a Pokémon’s strength along with making captured Pokémon more obedient to the trainer they have been assigned to. Since the appearance of Articuno, he has dedicated himself to the study of the Legendary Birds and how exactly they appear in our world.”

The trio all looked back at the glowing mark on Spark’s hand, watching it get dimmer and dimmer until it was finally back to normal. The storm clouds outside stayed, although they looked a much less threatening than before. The thunder had stopped completely.

With her fury outweighed by her curiosity, Candela turned to Blanche. “How did you know that? That is was Spark making the storm outside?”

“Because…” Blanche folded their hands together, their eyes focused, “because when I first tried to run away six months ago, it wasn’t the danger of my situation that first brought Articuno to me. It was my own anger.”

Spark and Candela glanced at each other.

Blanche continued their story, their eyes firmly on the ground. “I was angry at everything around me. The people I had grown up with, the things they were doing, the fact that we were an organization built on such stupid ideals. Most of all, I was angry at myself, for years and years of justifying their actions when I knew the reality of our situation.  Yes, when I got older I did participate in several illegal activities. As a way of assimilating into the organization I was born into. But after the night I met Candela, I couldn’t keep lying to myself. It was then that I began planning my escape. One night, I was so angry at myself for being so stupid. I had been pouring myself into the idea of escape for months but had nothing to show for it. No plan that would get me away. And that’s when it happened. Articuno appeared and aided in my attempt.”

Spark and Candela were hanging on their every word. The fight they just had vanished with this incredible tale consuming them.

“As you may have figured out, my escape was unsuccessful. I believe it was the shock of Articuno’s appearance that led to my capture. My second attempt was effective a little while after that event, when they forced her to appear by putting me in danger. I traveled by myself for a long while, trying to learn what the world was truly like. Then I ran into you, Spark, and my past caught up with the two of us.”

Blanche’s story had given the two of them exactly what they needed. And that was time. Candela slowly let go of her anger, and Spark his frustration. The two never meant for things to get so out of hand, but the situation they were in was a strange one. Tempers were high, and the stress was too much. It was far more than a group of kids should have to deal with.

After listening to the last few pieces of the puzzle, letting them fall into their correct place, the tension released. It was like a blindfold had been ripped from their eyes and the both of them were finally seeing the truth. And the truth was pretty crazy.

“Blanche…” Spark wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t even sure what to do. His hands hung loosely by his side and he felt a little useless.

Candela was the first to move. She planted herself in front of Blanche and placed a hand on their shoulder. “I, ugh this is hard… I’m sorry, Blanche. Sorry I kinda exploded there for a minute. I should have waited to hear you out, I guess I just got a little…”

“Carried away?” Spark offered.

“Yeah. Let’s go with that.” A small smile spread across her face, but it dimmed a bit when she looked over at Spark. The same apology on the tip of her tongue, he held up his hand to stop her.

“You don’t say anything Candela. I’m sorry too.” He offered a small smile, but everything he said weighted on him. Spark couldn’t remember a time he had ever been so angry, so downright mean. And it all came so easily too. The snappy remarks and the insults, he didn’t even have to think about it. He just reacted. Spark always thought that it wasn’t in him to be so cruel, and now he was wondering just what he was capable of when pushed to the edge. The thought scared him.

Candela wrapped Spark up in a surprise hug. “I’m still gonna say it, ya weirdo. I’m sorry. We’re still friends, right?”

He chuckled and hugged her back. “Of course.”

She pulled away and grinned, lifting his mood immensely. “Blanche, you’re still on friend probation.”

“What does that mean?” They frowned.

“It means we have to hang out some more without the whole ‘danger’ thing. Oh and yelling. No more yelling, but that’s mainly for me.”

“Hmmm, those terms sound agreeable.”

“You don’t- it’s not like a- ugh,” she turned to Spark, “Are they always this formal?”

He nodded, happy that things had calmed down. “That’s Blanche for you.”

Spark and Candela began to laugh. They laughed even harder at the confused look on Blanche’s face.

With all the excitement of the past 24 hours finally letting up, the three kids finally got to relax. Spark sat on his sleeping bag, watching the banter between the other two. Fluffy and the other two Pokémon had gone into hiding during all the commotion and were finally wandering back to the middle of the room. Since evolving, Fluffy seemed much bigger than before. The tips of his ears reached Spark’s waist when he stood. So there’d be no more riding on shoulders for the little guy but he had a feeling that Fluffy would try.

Still it was kind of lucky that he evolved when he did.

Blanche began bombarding Candela with question about their journey thus far, much like they did when they first met Spark. Her story was a little more exciting though; heading out as soon as she could despite her mother’s protests. He remembered when she called from Viridian City, absolutely ecstatic that she was finally on the road. It looked like that feeling hadn’t worn off one bit.

Spark lay back, listening. Fluffy cozied up next to him and began snoring almost immediately. It didn’t take too long for him to doze off too. The voices of his friends peaking in and out of his dreams. 

* * *

 

Sunlight streamed in from the window, the storm clouds from last night disappearing as quickly as they had come. It warmed the attic considerably, making if stuffy and hard to get comfortable. Spark tossed for the last time finally giving up on sleeping more. He sat up and yawned.

“Hey bud…” Fluffy was already up and moving. He pattered over and licked his trainer’s cheek. Spark looked around but Candela and Blanche were gone. Most likely they had gotten up before him. He didn’t realize it till he lay down last night, but he was exhausted. Still being a kid did have its perks. One good night’s sleep was more than enough to get him back on his feet after such a trying time.

The door swung open. Candela came in carrying breakfast in their arms along with a few supplies for the road.

“Good, you’re alive.” Candela grinned and dumped part of her load on Spark’s sleeping bag.

“Of course Spark is alive. None of his injuries were life threatening.” Blanche slid in behind her, their brown furrowed.

“You really need to not take things so literally.”

Spark chuckled at the two of them. The casual banter was exactly what he was hoping for them. Blanche, Candela and their Pokémon sat down in the same kind of circle they had last night. Breakfast was a hearty meal of eggs, toast and fruit, provided by their humble host at no cost. Blanche had insisted on giving the old man something, but he refused. He kept saying it’d be rude since they were his guests. Candela had to step in before Blanche short circuited from the unexpected kindness.

The food warmed Spark’s belly. Each bit making him more and more comfortable. But they couldn’t stay in this place for too long, especially when a crazy organization was hell-bent on finding you.

After a few more minutes of happy chatter, it was time to get down to business.

“Okay,” Spark sat up a little straighter. “So now that were all caught up, what are we going to do now? Where should we go?”

“I’ve put quite a bit of thought into that very question…” Blanche reached into their bag and pulled out their leather journal and a pen.

Candela groaned. “You made a list, didn’t you?”

“I’ve compiled several reasonable options for us to purse, all of them with their own unique positives and negatives-“

“That’s a list, Blanche.”

“— regardless, I think our best option is to go back to Vermillion and inform Lt. Surge of everything that has transpired.”

Spark inwardly groaned at the idea. It wasn’t the he didn’t want to see Surge. Especially after such an ordeal, it would be nice to see family. On the other hand, going back home after a three months wasn’t what he wanted to hear. Sure enough, Surge would turn on his worried uncle mode and keep Spark at home for another year, maybe even forever. At the very least he’d be stuck there until they figured out what to do about Team Rocket.

Candela and Blanche would probably keep adventuring without him. And that thought was the worst.

“I don’t like it.” Candela shook her head. “Surge would get all ‘overprotective’.  Same reason why I don’t tell my mom a lot of the stuff I get tangled up in. Spark here wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.”

He couldn’t help but be grateful that his friend realized the same thing.

Blanche nodded and crossed off something in their journal. “That was the one big negative that I had noted. Although I do think it’s important that an adult is aware of our situation. Spark, you said that a Professor was also aware of your mark?”

“Uh huh, Professor Willow. He was friends with my dad. He used to work in the valley where I’m from, but I’m not sure if he’s there now.”

“We should try and pin him down and see if he has any more to say on the subject.” Blanche glanced up at Spark, “You should call you Uncle regardless. It’s been 8 ½ days since the two of you last spoke.”

Spark sighed. They were right, of course. But still, he wasn’t sure how much he should tell him. Realistically he should tell his uncle everything, but risked making him worry beyond belief. He didn’t want Surge to worry any more than he already was. So then he had to stick to the basics.

“Finding and speaking to Professor Willow also coincides with another one of my ideas.” Blanche leafed through their journal. “I suggest that we continue on our journey as a group. We’d have to be far more cautious than ordinary trainers, but I believe that with the three of us, it will be perfectly safe.”

“I like that idea.” Candela leaned back and grinned. “I was getting a little lonely. I started talking to myself and everything.”

Blanche worded they’re next sentence carefully. “So then, you would be fine travelling with the two of us? We are the ones Team Rocket is hunting.”

“Yeah sure. That just makes it more exciting.”

All the tension Blanche was holding onto melted away. The story they told was able to calm Candela and even set the two of them on a promising path. Spark got all excited just thinking about it.

“Alrighty then!” he clapped his hands together. “Our grand adventure is about to begin!”

“YEAH!” Candela jumped up and gave Spark a high five. She suddenly gasped and grabbed him by the shoulders. “We should come up with a team name!”

“YEAH!”

“We do not need a team name.” Blanche groaned. They’re protests were drowned out by the excited chatter going on next to them. All sorts of names were tossed around, always vetoed by one kid or the other. Blanche was beginning to wonder if travelling with the two of them was a good idea. They already had a headache.  

After the idea of team names died down, it was time to get moving. They were still way too close to Team Rockets hideout for comfort. The trio thanked the old man who had been so kind and after double checking all their supplies, they were off.

Blanche had them stay just off the road. The little town they stayed in was in the middle of nowhere, so there wasn’t a whole lot of foot traffic. Or, as Blanche had so mildly put it, no witnesses to help if they had run into trouble. That though sent a little shiver down Spark’s spine.

What made him even more nervous was the idea of returning home.

It was a feeling he’d never had before. A twinge of excitement coupled with an overwhelming sense of dread. Why was he so afraid of going home?

The answer was sitting right at the center of his heart. Right beneath the crack that he had been mending for the past few years. That place, his home; it was missing its greatest part.

Spark felt a nudge on his thigh. He looked down and saw Fluffy, his eyes wide and warm. Spark had stopped walking and not even realized it.  Fluffy nudged him again, a little whine escaping his snout.

“Spark? You okay?” Candela had turn towards them, her brows arched in concern.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Just… still a little tired.” He rubbed the back of his head hoping to seem casual. Candela nodded, but didn’t seem all that convinced. Still, she was never one to pry. Spark hurried to catch up. They had a lot of ground to cover.


	8. Chapter 8

Spark knocked on the doors again. A thick layer of dust bounced off the glass and piled on the floor. “Hello?” he didn’t expect to get a response. Especially considering how overgrown the corral was outside. Blanche was at his side, cupping their hands against the glass to try and get a better look inside.

“No one had been here in some time.” Their voice sounded a little disappointed.

Candela was pacing impatiently behind them, Flareon following at her heels looking just as impatient. “Let’s break in.”

“We’re not breaking in…” Spark sighed.

“Why not? We need to find out where Professor Willow went. Maybe there’s a clue in there.”

“And maybe we’ll get arrested for trespassing.”

Candela waved him off. “Be serious Spark, who would arrest us? There’s nobody here.”

She was right. The place was eerily quiet and ever since they stepped foot into the valley, they saw no one. Not one soul came to greet them or crossed their path. Even the Pokémon seemed to be hiding away. Spark expected to feel a bit empty upon returning.  That his home wouldn’t quite feel homey with his dad there. But he didn’t expect this. He never could have expected this.

Spark trying pulling open the sliding doors but it didn’t budge. This place looks like it lost power years ago.

“Maybe… maybe we should ask around?” he suggested.

“We could try.” Blanche nodded. “However I don’t think there are many people around to ask.”

A small wind picked up. Spark was half expecting a tumbleweed to blow by. He turned to Candela.

“Doesn’t your uncle still live here?”

“Nope. I think he moved to the Unova region. Him and my mom kind of had a falling out.” She didn’t seem too bothered by this.

Spark looked inside once more, the familiar outlines of the interior looking so strange in its current state. Almost like it was a ghost of the place, all pale and eerie. It was wrong to just go barreling in but his curiosity was getting the better of him. Professor Willow was in and out of this place all the time when he was younger. He had to have left something behind that would give them an idea as to where to start.

Breaking in was their only option. “Alright, we’ll do it your way.” He sighed.

“YES.” A wicked glint in her eye, Candela and Flareon charged forward.

“Wait,” Blanche interrupted. “I don’t think we have to resort to such measures.” Without any sort of explanation, Blanche hurried around to the side of the building following a blur of blue that could only belong to their Pokémon.

Candela’s mood dropped along with her shoulders. “Aw c’mon, we were just about to have some fun...” She dragged her feet, grumbling the whole time.

Vaporeon lead them to the side of the building, the tree tops rubbing up against the wall. Spark had run laps around this place when he was younger. Too impatient to sit and wait while his dad got off work. So when the three of them stumbled upon the giant hole in the side of the building, no one was more surprised than Spark.

He slowed to a stop, staring up at the massive hole. It was big enough for an onix- no two onix and it was probably made by the giants too. The Pokémon dashed ahead, sniffing around the rubble. Spark glanced at his friends who met his eyes. All three of them had the same question plastered across their faces.

What happened here?

Candela was the first to move. She hopped up on the shaky pieces of rumbled and climbed to inside. The other two followed her lead. As he climbed over, Spark noticed the little tuffs of grass poking through the rubble. The once jagged edges of stone that had been smoothed by rain. This damage wasn’t recent. This had to have happened a while ago, maybe around the time he left.

The hole opened up to one of Sparks’ favorite places. It was the hatchery, where they took care of all the eggs that had come through.

He remembered coming here with his dad, pressing his face up against one of the glass incubators to get a better look at the eggs. He remembered one day in particular when this place was full to the brim with rattata’s, all the eggs hatching one right after the other revealing the same tiny purple Pokémon. It was absolute chaos and some of the other breeders who worked there dropped what they were doing to help with the sudden rush. Spark ran his fingers against one of the broken devices, remembering the smile he’d shared with his dad during the whole event.

“What happened here?” he asked aloud, his voice echoing in the empty space.

“Something bad…” Candela whispered. “I wonder when this happened.”

“That should be easy to figure out.” Blanche was rummaging through the drawers. “Spark, you and Surge left four years ago. And Candela, you left soon after, correct?”

“Uhh yeah? How’d you know that?”

Blanche looked at her, frowning. “Based on the overgrowth outside, the thickness of dust, and also on the state of decay of the building in general, I thought it was obvious that this place has been abandoned for at least three years.”

“Obvious to werido like you.” She huffed. Blanche was about to say something back, but Spark’s sudden movement cut them off.

Spark hurried to the doors and yanked them open, the old hinges groaned loudly from the movement. He turned away from the lobby and down a wide hall. The rooms he passed had long ago had their names faded away, but he knew what each of them by heart.

The infirmary, the lab, the kitchen, the pool, on and on until he reached the end. The name plate that was supposed to read _Prof. Willow_ had been removed. Why someone would take something like that seemed pretty strange. Maybe they were trying hide this room from the intruders? Make them think this was another bathroom or something. Whatever the reason, it didn’t stop them from breaking in. There was a hole where the door handle should have been.

Spark pushed open the door. The big office was just as dusty and disheveled as the rest of the place. The window on the far side of the wall was nearly all gone, a few jagged pieces of glass hanging precariously from the frame. Shelves had been torn off walls, books and papers were disintegrating on the floor, the desk was broken in half from some incredible force. 

“What’s this place?” Candela poked her head inside, followed by Blanche.

“Willow’s office.” Spark answered. “Or I guess, what’s left of it.”

“So much for clues…”

“Let’s look around. Something might still be here.”

Candela shared a doubtful look with Blanche but the two obliged their friend and began rummaging through what little was left. Spark went to the desk, careful to avoid the sharp pieces of wood that had snapped off when the thing was cleaved in two. It took some work but he managed to yank open some of the drawers. Apart from a few little trinkets, the drawers were pretty much empty. Nothing that screamed clue.

It took all of five minutes for Candela to give up. “Ughhh, there’s nothing here.” She kicked a hunk of rock sending it flying out the broken window.

“Yeah… you might be right…” Spark glanced around again, trying to find something- anything that might be important. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“I don’t know… maybe there’s still someone living out here?”

“Yeah… maybe.”

Candela turned to asked Blanche’s opinion only to find them staring at a blank wall. Spark noticed too, looking up at the water stained wall and then back to their friend with a concerned look. “Uhhh, Blanche?” he asked hesitantly. “What- what are you looking at?”

“There was something one this wall.” They answered simply, a firm look on their face.

Candela slid up beside them. “And how does that help us?”

“I think it was a map.” The two kids stared at the wall and then back at their friend. It was absolutely impossible for them to know what hung here all that time ago. They must have been grasping at straws. “Spark, your map.” They held out their hand, waiting.

Spark did was he was asked and slipped is backpack off his shoulders. He handed Blanche the folded up paper and watched them open it. Blanche must have known the two doubted them and rolled into an explanation. 

“Despite the obvious water damage here and here, there is a slightly less obvious sigh of sun damage which you can see right here.” Blanche pointed to a spot that was just below eye level. Spark and Candela leaned in, their noses nearly touching the dirty wall. “See the color difference?” They asked eagerly.

As soon as he knew what he was looking for, Spark suddenly realized there was a difference. There was an area a slightly lighter shade of blue. Very, very slightly.

Candela crossed her arms. “How did you even see that?”

“It’s obvious.”

“No, it’s really not.” Spark grinned. “Nice job. Now, what makes you think it’s a map?”

“These tiny holes, see them?” they pointed to a few different places. “Two above, and two below. Holes this minute are from push pins, and the longer width suggests something wide. Spark, hold this end up. Candela, the other.”

It took a second for Spark to realize he was needed. He was kind of in awe of the brilliance of his friend. Following Blanche’s direction, he held the end of the map up high, lining it up with the tiny indent of the hole. Candela held the other side up, while Blanche made sure it lined up with the holes on the bottom. The map was a perfect fit.

“It- fits?” Candela’s surprise did not go unnoticed.

If Blanche was capable of looking smug, this would have been the moment. Instead they settled for a tiny smirk. “Yes, it does.”

“Okay, so we know what Willow hung on his wall, how does this help?”

“There was one more hole in this wall.” Blanche traced the bottom of the map with light fingers, searching for the small bump. “Here…” They flipped up the paper to double check.

“An island?”

“Four islands.” Blanche corrected. They took out a pen and marked it with an ‘x’.  With a nod, Spark and Candela dropped their sides and stared at the place.

“There’s no other holes?” he just had to be sure. “No other places Willow might have marked?”

“There’s no evidence on the wall.” Blanche folded up the paper, its purpose fulfill. “If there was any more information written on the map, it’s lost to us. This is all we have to go on.”

They handed back the map. Spark looked down at it feeling a little unsure. “It’s not much…”

“No, not much at all.” They agreed.

The trio headed out of Willow’s office and searched around the place for a bit longer. The sun was setting and soon it became too dark to roam around the dilapidated building. Candela suggested lighting a fire with Flareon’s help, but Blanche strongly advised against. If their last show of power was anything to go by, Blanche was convinced that Flareon would accidently burn the building down. They made their way out the same way they came in, stumbling over the broken concrete.

“That kind of felt like a waste.” With her arms stretched over her head, Candela yawned loudly. “And now I’m sleepy.”

“I thought we discovered some useful information.” Blanche commented.

“More like confusing. I mean, we don’t even know what happened here. I can probably guess though.”

“Yes, I was thinking the same.”

Silence settled over them. The idea had been plaguing Spark too. He tried to picture Team Rocket, their black and red uniforms flooding his home. Their wild and dangerous Pokémon ripping apart the land. Ransacking the place, tearing it apart, making it unrecognizable.

It was the only possibility that made sense.

“SO. Where are we camping tonight?” Candela broke the spell. Her grumbling stomach also interrupting the quiet.

“We don’t have to camp.” Spark hurried ahead, traveling the well-known road. Fluffy was flat out running now. Jumping and prancing in and out of the tall grass. He must have realized that he was nearly home too.

“What do you mean- where are you going in such a rush?” Blanche hurried to follow.

One word dropped from his lips that made him feel incredibly excited. “Home.” 

* * *

 

Hanging around a chain on his neck, Spark carried with him a pair keys. One of the front door, and one for the back. The house his parents had built when they first settled in this place belonged to him. It was his inheritance. The only place he really imagined himself living.

When his father died, the place lost its homey-ness. Lost its warmth. Spark hoped that by leaving, he wouldn’t think of the place in a negative way. That by leaving so soon after it all happened; he’d still remember the place as a happy one. And judging by just how fast he was running, his plan had worked.

Spark skidded to a stop in front of his house, staring up at the place with a warm feeling spreading all the way down to his toes. The weather had been kinder to this place than to the research center. Part of the fence had been blown over buy the wind, and the paint was peeling in some spots, but overall it looked okay. He opened the fence and hurried up the steps.

Once inside, a stale smell hit his nose. Fluffy zoomed inside and went straight for Sparks’s old room. There was a thud that could only be the jolteon sliding into the wall. Spark stifled a giggle. It seemed that nothing in this place had changed.

Candela and Blanche entered a bit more cautiously, the latter looking around curiously at the cozy little place. All the furniture had been left behind and covered with white sheets. Spark went around opening the windows before taking the sheets off. He didn’t want to smother everyone with dust.

“Aannd no power. Looks like we’ll be in the cold again guys.” With a loud sigh, Candela plopped down the couch. Apparently the sheets only did a little work protecting the furniture as a big dust cloud floated in the air. She patted her lap and Flareon jumped up, curling up in to a ball.

“Not necessarily.”

“Looks like you get to make a fire after all.” Spark joked. Without anther word, she hopped up and slid over to the fire place.

“We need fire wood!” She bounced impatiently.

“I’ll see if there’s anything out back.” Fluffy scampered around the corner was soon as he heard the back door open. The garden was over grown and wild, matching the forest behind it. Spark half expected to see Sai’s lumbering body resting in the grass. But that was just wishful thinking.

Actually, come to think of it, what did happen to Sai?

This question plagued Spark’s mind as he hopped over the back fence. In a few short steps, he was in the trees, stumbling in the dark looking for fire wood. Sai was one of the first Pokémon Spark had ever known. He missed the feeling of riding on his back, petting his fur and leaning against him to take a nap. No one ever said what became of the giant Arcanine, but Spark feared the worse.

Pushing all those thoughts from his head, he gathered up a good bunch of small twigs and broken branches. Enough stuff to get a comfortable fire going in the fire place. The thought of the warm flames made his feet move faster. It had gotten chilly fast in the past few weeks. If this was anything to go by, it was going to be a long winter.

Behind him, there was one loud snap in the otherwise quiet forest. Spark froze, one foot hovering in the air. At the same moment, he glanced down at Fluffy to see if it was him who had made the sound. All the fur on his back was standing on edge and his ears were twitching with nerves. The two of them waited, straining to listen for more. Give the last time he was alone in a forest, his instincts told him that this was not good.

Spark looked down at his partner, a plan forming in his mind. Barely louder than a whisper, there was a soft rustling behind them. After that, all hell broke loose.

The load he was carrying clatter to the ground as Spark dove out of the way. There were dozens of whooshing sound over his head. Razor sharp leaves buried themselves into the trees inches above his head. Spark rolled to his feet and ducked behind a tree. Fluffy was already on the move, running as fast as he could back to the house. There was no telling how many people were hiding in the trees. He needed backup.

Spark reached into his pocket and held his pokéball close to his chest. He’d somehow managed to give them the slip and wanted to remain hidden for as long as possible. So he waited, ten long agonizing seconds as the person who attacked them wondered into sight.

It was only one person and one Pokémon, but there had to be more. Several voices were speaking all at once. All of them in a low rush. Spark squinted in the darkness, trying to see if it was Team Rocket again.  All the sudden and eerie feeling washed over him. Spark clutched the pokéball; his hand beginning to shake.

Two glowing red eyes emerged from the shadows and focused straight at him. Realizing he’d been spotted, Spark pressed down on the button and released his faithful pidgey. “N-Noodles! Use Quick Attack!”

Noodles dove towards the eyes at blinding speed. The leer was broken by the sudden attack and Spark felt like he could breathe again. He scurried to his feet just in time to see a persian leap out from the shadows. The elegant Pokémon snarled at the two of them, its long white claws glistening in the moonlight.

Following behind them was a trainer. A big red ‘R’ emblazed on their chest. The girl’s eyes were wide as a weak smile pulled at her lips. “Found you!” Her voice was breathy, like she’d been running for miles.

 An unfamiliar feeling began bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. Spark’s hands turned into fists at his side. “How did you know where we were?”

“Nah ah.” She waved her finger in an almost playful way. “I’m not about to give up our secrets to you. Now c’mon, Bird Boy. Let’s see if you’re as good as they all say.”

Spark felt his anger begin to rise. He pushed it down with everything he had, taking in one shaky breath after another. It would take a lot more than this frustration to summon Zapdos, he was pretty sure about that. But still, he didn’t want to test that theory out here. “Try and stay out of reach of its claws, okay Noodles?” The pidgey cawed in response, pushing her wings harder to get a few more inches above the Persian and its trainer. All he had to do was beat this girl and then find his friends. “Alright, use Gust!”

With on loud shriek, Noodles flapped her wings hard and fast. The air in front of them suddenly turned wild. Grass was ripped up from the ground and every little rock and twig were picked up in the wind and sent hurling towards the persian. The trainer was also caught up in the wind, covering her face with her arms. Her mouth was moving fast but whatever she was saying was lost in the wind.

The big cat dug their claws into the dirt to try and stay standing against the torrent. It leaned back on it hind legs and let loose a terrible growl. With one powerful leap it jumped through the gust and right towards Spark. He yelped in surprise, tripping over his feet as he tried to get away. Noodles dove out of the sky and tackled the brute. Persian was thrown off course but not before one long claw managed swipe Spark’s arm.

Spark scrambled to get away, pain shooting up and down his arm. He looked around frantically for Noodles. She had managed to climb back up in the air, out of reach once again.

“That- that was a dirty move!” Attacking a trainer to distract their Pokémon was more than dirty, it was unimaginable. Spark stared at the girl incredulously.

The girl pushed a lock of hair out of her face and smirked. “That’s called strategy.”

Spark’s anger quickly turned into fear. It seemed like there was nothing that was off limits to these people. Persian growled again, its eyes fliting back and forth between the boy and the Pokémon. To his left there was another growl and a flash of light. Candela and Blanche must have run into more goons. But Spark had his own battle to worry about. “Let’s hit them again, Noodles. Gust!”

The air picked up again but this time Spark didn’t stand and watch. He ducked behind a fallen tree, out of the way from Persian’s claws. He heard the girl’s sharp voice this time. “Fury swipes!”

“Dodge it!” he peaked over his hiding spot just in time to see Noodles spin away from the encroaching attack. The girl grit her teeth and began shouting at her Pokémon.

“C’mon! It’s just a little pidgey! Swipe ‘em out of the sky!” Persian leaped onto a nearby tree, its claws making a terrible scraping sound. “Now, use leer!” It clambered its way on to a branch and immediately locked on to their target.

Red eyes burned through the dark, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Noodles instantly shivered and began to sink lower in the air. “Snap out of it!” he called. But it was no use. Noodles was sinking lower and lower. She was almost completely frozen with fear.

“Use Scratch!” Persian’s red eyes disappeared as it leaped at Noodles with one of its big paws. It was almost like Spark felt the hit himself. His stomach lurched as he watched his friend be batted out of the air like she was nothing but a bug. He launched himself over the tree trunk and managed to catch Noodles before she hit the ground.

“N-Noodles?” his voice was quivering, overwhelmed with emotions. To his relief, she didn’t seem to be seriously hurt. She cooed at him, slowly turning over and tucking her feet underneath her feathers. “Are you- are you okay?” Noodles nipped at his shirt before hopping out of his arms. “It’s okay, we can wait for Fluffy-“

A sharp caw cut him off. Noodles spread he wings and hopped in the sky. No matter what he said, it looked like she was determined to finish this fight. Spark smiled, still worried about what might happened. He shook away his doubts and put his trust in his friend.

Persian hopped into the trees again and snarled. “Hit them again, Persian!”

“Noodles, Fly!” Before she could be hit with another Leer, Noodles climbed higher in the sky well beyond the tree tops.

The rocket girl fixed him with a smirk. “Draw out the bird, Persian. Attack the kid.”

Spark was anticipating this and dove back behind his tree. The big cat soared over his head and landed heavily a few years in front of him. It spun around quickly, crouched low. Its lips were curling revealing its sharp, pointed teeth. It reared back and sprang towards him.

Long before Persian even got close to Spark, Noodle rocketed out of the sky. She slammed into her enemy and forced them back on to the ground. The force of the hit was so hard, there was persian shaped indent on the ground.

“Finish them off! Whirlwind!” Spark called. Instead of the creating sharp gusts of wind, a spiraling column of air grew between them. Noodles was hovering in the middle beating her wings like crazy. She cawed one loud shrill sound and pushed the whirlwind right towards Persian.

After being beat to the ground a few seconds early the big cat was still a little shell shocked. It hissed at the wind began tearing at its fur. Its claws teared into the ground to try and keep them steady but the force of the wind was too much. Persian was lifted off its paws and sent tumbling up the spiral. Then there was a wailing meow as the cat was sent flying in the opposite direction.

Spark hopped up and tried to find the Pokémon. It clamored out of a bush and then promptly passed out. The Rocket girl hurried over to her Pokémon. “Persian!” she shrieked. “Oh, your beautiful fur is all dirty…”

“Nice job, girl.” Noodles had landed on Spark’s shoulder, nipping at his hair. He grabbed her pokéball and pressed the button. “Get some rest.”

Without second thought, Spark raced past the girl and her persian. A brilliant flame leading him to his friends. Candela and Nina were holding their own against three other Rocket members. A powerful fire blast had just sent one of their golbat’s flying back. Fluffy jumped at Spark as soon as he was close, the little guy shaking with worry. Spark hugged him quick and then set him down.

“Where’s Blanche?” he had to practically shout to be heard.

Candela cheered as Nina slammed and ivysaur with a take down attack. It was sent hurling into its trainer who was too slow to get out of the way. She spoke over her shoulder, “Over there, there’s one more of them. Ah Nina, look out!” The two of them were having a little trouble with this last duo. It was a golem who just looked angry after the attacks more than anything.

Spark glanced at Fluffy, but he wouldn’t be much use against a rock Pokémon like that either. “I’m going to get Blanche to help you. Wait here!”

“I don’t need- ugh, just hurry!” Candela groaned. Nina had just taken a hit from a well-aimed rock smash.

He hurried off with Fluffy trailing behind. Blanche wasn’t too far away and by the look of things, they were handling their battle with the same ease they do most things. Vaporeon was standing on the sidelines while Blanche’s Starmie took center stage.

“Water Gun!” A jet of water shot out at the enemies arbok, sending it reeling back. A dizzy look overcame the snake and it crumbled to the ground with its tongue hanging out the side of its mouth. The Rocket grunt howled in anger.

“Blanche,” Spark skidded to a stop. “Candela needs your help. There’s a golem-“

“Got it.” They called back Starmie and nodded to Vaporeon. Before taking off, they paused and glanced up at Spark. “They knew we would come here.”

“Yeah… but I can’t figure out how?”

Blanche turned to the trainer they had been fighting, a grimace on their face. Confused, Spark followed their gaze. Recognition hit him in the gut; like a shock from an untrained pikachu. “That is how.”

“D-Davis?” the name already held a bit of animosity for him, but never in his life did Spark think Davis would sink this low. He was a bully and stubborn, short fused and a bit grumpy, but nothing in their history made he out to be evil. But there he was, proudly wearing a Rocket uniform.

Blanche waited a few moments longer, clearly unsure how this revelation was sitting with their friend. Against their nature, Blanche put their hand on Spark’s shoulder to try and comfort him in some way. The shock on his face faded away and he showed them a small smile before turning away. Seeing that they were no longer needed here, Blanche hurried off to help Candela.

Once they were gone, Spark finally spoke. “You’re the one who told them. Told them that we used to live here.”

Despite having just lost a battle, Davis looked incredibly smug. He crossed his arms and stood up tall. “Boss was pretty happy when he found that I knew you. He gave me a team to lead and everything. I knew it was only a matter of time before you got homesick.”

“Why are you doing this, Davis? Why did you join Team Rocket?!”

“Why do you care what I do? It’s not like we’re friends.”

“But we grew up together- our parents worked together!”

“What does that have to do with me? I make my own decisions- who cares what happened in the past.”

“I just- I don’t get it...” Spark’s mind was spinning. This just didn’t make any sense. What would drive Davis to join this insane group of radicals?

“What I don’t get is how a weakling like you got Zapdos on your side.” The words were almost forced out, like saying them was a difficult thing to admit. Spark stared at him, his suddenly ridge shoulders and clamped jaw. The way his eyes burned with one terrible emotion. Could it really all boil down to jealousy?

“Is that- is that really what this is all about?” Spark cradled his marked hand close to him, rubbing at it with his thumb. Davis didn’t grace him with a response. He just scowled at the younger boy.

A shout made them both turn, their attention roughly pulled back to the present. It was Candela’s voice and it was yelling his name. Spark refocused and realized that right now, talk was pointless. He needed to move. He took off towards his friends, not even sparing a second glance at Davis.

Candela and Blanche had handled the Golem and its trainer together and were heading back towards the house. Fluffy was a few steps ahead of him, signaling to them that he was right on their tail. They picked up their speed when he got near.

All three of them hurtled over the fence and pushed through the back door. Luckily none of them had started to unpack yet so all they had to do was grab their bags and bolt. Spark fiddled with the locks, wanting to protect his home. His friends waited a little impatiently as he stuffed the keys down his shirt. They took off running down the road.

“How did they know where to find us?!” Candela was the fastest, leading them off the road and into the tall grass.

Blanche was too busy glancing over their shoulder every few steps to respond, so Spark spoke up. “It was Davis. He told them where we might go.”

“WHAT?!” Candela spun around and planted her feet in the dirt. Spark collided with her and the two were sent sprawling on the ground. Candela hopped up moments later, her rage coming off her in waves. “THAT JERK FROM WHEN WE WERE KIDS?? WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING WITH TEAM ROCKET?”

Spark was still lying on the ground, the stars spinning before his eyes.

“What are you doing? We have to move!” Blanche hoisted Spark up by the arm, making him wince as they rubbed up against the cut he’d gotten from Persian. The pain stopped his head from spinning out of control.

“Is he still back there? I’m going to punch him so hard-“ Candela was right in the middle of rolling up her sleeves when Blanche grabbed her wrist. 

“We don’t have time for revenge right now. They could have already called for backup.”

“Alright, “she huffed, crossing her arms in defeat. “So where do we go? Should we go to Vermillion and catch our breath?”

Spark shook his head. “We can’t. Not if Davis told them about Uncle Surge. There probably a heap of Rocket members there already.”

“Then- where do we go?” it was the first time Candela seemed worried. The option of going to Surge for help had always been there backup plan, but now it seems like that option had been taken off the table.

Spark wasn’t worried that they would go after Surge. The last thing Team Rocket seemed interested in was making their presence known to the rest of the world. That and if they went after Surge they would have all of the gym leaders in the entire region on their bad side. No, he would be fine. But they had just lost another safe haven.

“I don’t know, but we’ve just got to get out of here.” Spark pushed ahead, hurrying towards the cover of the trees. “Well figure out our next move when were far away from this place, okay?”

Blanche nodded, “That sounds like the best course of action.”

“When did you get so smart?” Candela teased, her worry hidden under that sly smile.

“I don’t know” he shrugged, his own smile growing. “I think hitting my head for the hundredth time might have helped.”

“Maybe if I hit it again, you’ll be smarter than Blanche!”

“Doubtful.” They frowned.

Spark covered his laughter as the three of them disappeared in the forest once more. Leaving behind his home for the second time in his young life.


	9. Chapter 9

The rain was falling down on the trio hard. It had been raining like this since this morning and unfortunately they were in-between towns when it had started. Spark’s hoodie served him well during the beginning, but after walking for the past few hours, he was soaked to the bone. The only one who was enjoying all of this water was Vaporeon. He was practically dancing in the rain.

Over the past year of traveling with his friends, this had to be one of the most miserable days. One looked at Candela’s shivering frame only mirrored his thoughts.

In that year, they had run into Team Rocket over a dozen of times. With Blanche’s careful planning and knowledge of the organization, they were able to avoid the group a good number of times. Making their journey for answers a hundred percent more bearable.

But of course, they weren’t right all the time. The trio’s luck had to run out eventually.

There were five times over the course of that time when Spark truly thought that they had lost. Like the time they were ambushed in the middle of the night while they were still sleeping, or when Blanche had literally fallen into one of their traps. The worse was when they came after their Pokémon, trapping all three of their eeveelutions and holding them as hostages. That last one still sent a quiver of fear through him. Fluffy was one of his greatest friends. He truly didn’t know what he would do if he lost him.

One good thing they were able to say was that him and Blanche were able to keep their legendries from appearing. Neither Zapdos or Articuno had been seen in so long, Spark was beginning to think that Team Rocket had targeted them for no reason. The only real sign that they were connected to the birds at all were the marks on their hands that didn’t fade no matter how much time had passed.

The trio ducked underneath a large tree, taking a break from being pelted with water. Blanche took this moment to fix their hair. They pulled it out of the loose ponytail and let it hang down in one straight line between their shoulder blades. With practiced fingers they tied it back up, combing the loose pieces back into place. Spark took a less graceful approach to dealing with his wet head. He pushed back his hood and shook his hair out, spraying all of them with tiny droplets.

“Bleh!” Candela wiped her face. The string on her hood was pulled tight around her face, hiding her hair. Flareon was zipped up in her jacket looking just as sour as her trainer. Her usual puffy fur was hanging low around her little face like a sheet. “Now I’m covered in rain water and Spark water… ugh I hate this gloomy weather.”

“This was unexpected.” Blanche pulled off their gloves with their teeth, rummaging in their bag afterwards for a small, folded up map. “There should be a Pokécenter just around the bend. We will be able to rest there till this rain passes.”

“Good. I’m pretty sure Flareon’s ears are frozen along with my fingers.” She grumbled.

“I told you to buy gloves.”

“Ponchos were more important.”

Blanche sighed. “I might have to agree with you on that.”

Spark giggled at the look on both of their faces. Fluffy trotted up beside him and nudged his leg. The human sized poncho Spark had fitted to work for the jolteon was falling to the side. He adjusted it accordingly, using a rubber band to tie up the extra plastic bunched up on his back.

Once they were all set, they head out on the road again. After ten more minutes, the larger structure came into view. The place looked heavenly, its lights beaming against the murky grey sky and equally dark trees. Candela nearly began running to the place, and probably would have if it wasn’t for Flareon bouncing up and down in her jacket. She burst into the doors, frightening a little kid and their clefairy half to death.

“We have reached salvation, Flareon!” she shed her poncho and jacket and sprawled out on a nearby chair. Flareon began furiously grooming herself, shaking out the water that had clung to her fur.

Spark and Blanche weren’t far behind, entering only a few moments after Candela. “Whew… it’s getting worse, don’t you think Blanche?”

They nodded, trying to convince Vaporeon to come inside. “It has picked up a bit. We might have to stay here most of the day.”

“I’m not complaining about that.” Candela piped up from her spot.

After untangling Fluffy from the poncho, Spark headed up to the counter with his back pack in his arms. The women behind the counter smiled, her pink pigtails bouncing with every little move.

“Hello there, how can I help you?” she asked sweetly. Her name tag read Joy.

Spark carefully set his bag on the counter, unzipping it and pulling out something round. He peeled back the wet clothes that had stuck to it, stuffing them back inside where they belonged. Once unwrapped, a pale looking egg was sitting on the counter. “I was wondering if I could borrow one of your incubators.” He asked. Nurse Joy looked at the boy curiously. “I tried to keep it warm in my bag… it feels dry but a little too cold. Can I keep in an incubator until it warms up a bit?”

“Of course. Here I’ll take it back for you. What’s your name?”

“Spark.”

“It’s nice to meet you Spark.” Nurse Joy took the egg and pulled out a stethoscope. She listened carefully to the egg, her eyes closed. “Well everything sounds fine in there, but a few hours in an incubator will do it some good. You’ve looked after pokéeggs before, haven’t you?”

Spark rocked back on his heels, glancing at Fluffy. “Yeah… once or twice.”

He thanked Nurse Joy and watched as her and the egg headed back through a pair of double doors. Spark closed up his bag and went to sit next to his friends. Candela was ringing out her jacket, leaving a big puddle of water next to her chair. It looked like Blanche had finally managed to convince Vaporeon to come inside, but the little guy was covered in so much mud they made him stomp back outside to try and wash some of the muck off. It was a pretty funny scene to stumble upon.

Spark sat next to Candela, reaching for her bag and searching for his snacks. “That is the last time I let you use my bag to store all your stuff.” She complained.

“I had to make room for that egg. It would have frozen in that rain.” He found what he was looking for and popped open the bag.

“What about Flareon? She could have been nice and dry in my backpack if it wasn’t full of your stuff.” As if on cue, Flareon shot him a look that even Candela would have shivered under. Spark went into her bag once more and pulled out a brush. He patted his lap and waited for the grumpy little thing to drag her way to him.

She jumped up on his lap, water from her damp fur slapping him in the face. “Sorry about that…” he ran the brush through her fur, trying to get it back to its usual bouncy self. “But you understand, right?”

Flareon tried to glare at him again but she’d become too relaxed from the grooming that all she managed was flitting glance. Pretty soon, the little thing was sleeping soundly on his lap.

“I don’t get how you do you that.” Candela frowned. Spark shrugged, smiling a little.

Just then, Blanche came back inside. They were dripping wet holding a very happy looking Vaporeon in their arms. The Pokémon hopped down and scampered over to Fluffy. Blanche glared over at their friends. “You two have been a bad influence on him.”

Candela and Spark looked at one another, both of the stifling laughter.

After all the excitement, Nurse Joy came out again with a chansey following behind. She was carrying blankets and chansey was pushing a cart with water and other drinks on it. There was steaming kettle full of hot water that nearly made Candela squeal with joy.

Spark and Candela went for the hot chocolate while Blanche stuck to tea. Nurse Joy also gave a blanket over to the other trainer. The girl Candela had scared looked pretty young, probably just starting out on the road. She looked at the three of them with a strange sort of awe.

Very carefully, Spark moved the sleeping Flareon over to Candela’s lap to make room for his own Pokémon. Fluffy leap up on his lap and Spark wrapped the blanket around the both of them. Because of the gloomy weather outside, Spark was feeling particularly sleepy. Fluffy was like a little heater, wrapped this close to his chest. He scooted to the side of the chair and folded his legs underneath him.

Poke. Poke.

Spark groaned, pulling the blanket over his head.

Poke. Poke.

“Mmmm? Gooawaayy….” He mumbled.

“Wake up Spark. It’s the middle of the night.” Spark pulled back the blanket and opened one eye. The lights were dim in the pokécenter, the rain still beating gently on the windows. It took a second for his eyes to focus on the person in front of him. Blanche’s usually straight hair had gotten frizzy with all this humidity, so much so that they looked like and over pampered growlithe. He rubbed his eyes, smiling at the thought.

“Okaayy, I’m awake…” he sat up carefully and made sure Fluffy wasn’t disturbed. Candela was already up too, her legs crossed and arms draped around the egg Spark had found a few weeks earlier.

 “Nurse Joy brought this out while you were passed out.” She shrugged. “I tried to wake you up but you were snoring really hard.”

“Thanks.” He yawned, stretching his arms over his head. His eyes drifted to the little girl. She was sound asleep, curled up next to her Pokémon. Now was as good as it was going to get. “So where are we?”

Blanche had their journal out, their lips moving silently as they added up the last of the numbers, a small smile growing. “We have reached our goal.” 

“Shut up. Are you serious?” Candela wacked their arm in her excitement. “Finally! It thought we were going to be stuck forever!”

“Candela!” Spark shushed her, looking back to the girl. Luckily she was still asleep.

“Oops.”

“Back to business…” Blanche was rubbing their arm; an annoyed looked ruining their good mood. “Now that we have enough for the tickets, I suggested that we head out to the port. The next cruise leaves in two days.”

“And after that?”

“Not for another month.” They had the whole schedule mapped out in their journal, all the way until next year.

None of them were really sure when they’d finally have enough money to buy tickets to the cruise. It was one of the more expensive routes with people from all over scrabbling to get to this island paradise. An island that had three neighbors that even the locals avoided. According to Blanche’s research the three islands were covered in a strange mist and the water around them was rough and unruly. Every expedition to these islands ended in catastrophe.

But the legends that surrounded them were worth the risk.

Spark could feel something whirl in his belly. Excitement maybe? Nervousness? The two feelings usually mixed together. He felt so close all the sudden., so close to getting answers that had been plaguing him since he was seven years old. Had he really been that young when all this started?

Candela leaned her head on the egg and groaned. “What are the chances our friends found the same info?”

“It is… highly possible.” Blanche grimaced. “Once I had that one small clue, I was able to find information about the folklore of that area relatively quickly. The three birds are spoken about often in their culture and the islands themselves are mysteries that many people wish to solve.”

“So were screwed.”

“Candela,” Spark glared at her. “We just have to be careful. Right Blanche? I mean we knew this would get tricky.”

Blanche nodded in agreement. “Yes. Although I think tricky is a bit of an understatement, Spark.”

“I’m trying to stay positive.” He grumbled. Saying something and actually believing it are two different things. And to be honest, the journey ahead seemed a little scary. “Well, should we take off tonight then?”

As if on cue, Candela collapsed in her chair, her arms covering her face. “Ugh why do you guys make me go out in the rain? I hate the rain.”

“Well we don’t have much of a choice. Not if we want to get to the island fast and get some answers.”

At this Candela grew quiet. A mode that wasn’t very common on the firecracker. This was something he’d been noticing more and more lately. Candela’s silence when it came to certain topics. Their search for answers being at the top of that list. She always seemed excited about going new places, she always fought her hardest when Team Rocket was on their tail, but there was something off. Something he was missing.

Spark had an idea, but he wasn’t sure enough to ask yet. He was very grateful that she had come along, but really this search for the truth was pretty much just for him and Blanche. They were the ones that bonded with legendries. They were the ones being hunted. Spark truly wondered if Candela felt left out or something. If he ever asked her about it, she’d probably wiggle her way out of the discussion somehow.

“The rain is letting up.” Spark pointed out. It was drizzling more than anything. Nothing compared to the downpour this morning. “Flareon can have Fluffy’s poncho. I’ll zip him up in my hoodie.”

“Nah its fine.” Candela smiled. “She’ll be alright. Someone is just being dramatic.” Flareon squeaked and burrowed into one of the blankets.

“Then let’s get our things together.” Blanche stood and began folding their blanket, the other two following their lead. The trio placed the blankets on the counter and then gathered up their belongings. The clothes that had gotten wet earlier were almost dry, after being laid out most of the day.

“Hey, Blanche?” Spark had stopped mid packing, another thought cross his mind. They turned to him. “Do you think Willow will be there?”

Blanche crossed their arms, a thoughtful look and their face. “Hmmm… it is possible though highly unlikely. No one has heard from him in quiet some time, according to Lt. Surge.”

“Yeah, I just. I don’t know…”

“What is it?” The asked softly.

“I’m just worried is all. Like you said, no one’s heard from him in a long time. What if—what if Team Rocket went after him a long time ago? I mean that’s probably why the center was all wrecked. What if he got captured? What if he’s—“

Blanche held up their hand, effectively stopping him. “It’s true, the odds are that something did happen. Given the evidence we found that day and the little information we’ve collected, the only conjecture that seems possible is a negative one. ” Candela glared at them, noticing the dark look that had suddenly fallen on Spark. “However, I do not believe that you have cause to worry.”

Both Spark and Candela looked at them in confusion. It wasn’t like Blanche to state something so confidently without a list of facts backing it up.

“What makes you say that?” Spark asked after several moments of silence.

Blanche’s cheeks had the faintest hint of pink. “It’s just a feeling I have. You two share every little inkling you have; it’s it fair that I do the same?”

“Well, yeah when you put it that way, but it’s just—“

“Weird.” Candela chimed in.

“—to actually hear you say it.”

Spark and Candela were grinning, the pink hue to Blanche’s cheeks getting darker with each passing second. They turned around swiftly and went back to packing. “That’s it. I’m not telling you two anything anymore.”

“Aw c’mon, Blanche! I didn’t mean anything by it.” Candela looped her arm around Blanche’s shoulders, earning a very fierce gaze from them. “You know I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Sarcasm still isn’t my strong suit.”

“Ugh, it’s not like it’s something you can study. Just stop being so… so… Blanche.” 

“Th-that doesn’t make any sense!” Candela laughed loudly by their side, confusing them even more. Spark couldn’t help it, he started laughing too. His somber mood disappeared as quickly as it had come and now he was left feeling better. Not great, not wonderful, but better. And that was all thanks to his friends.

It took a little while for Candela to calm down, and for Blanche to stop blushing. Once they were done it was time to get moving. Spark flatted everything in his pack again and began gently placing the egg inside. There was a soft thump underneath the shell that nearly made him yelp. He quickly put the egg on the seat next to him and held it steady.

“Uh, guys? We can’t leave just yet.”

Candela threw her head back and groaned loudly. “UGH. I just psyched myself up for more walking.”

“What is it?” Blanche asked.

“It’s hatching.” he said simply.

“What?!” The two hurried to his side, Blanche leaning close and Candela perched on the opposite side of the couch. This wasn’t the first time Spark had come across and egg on their journey, it wasn’t the first time either of them watched an egg hatch, but it never failed to excite all three of them to see it happening again.

There was a muffled little squeak that made the three of them jump. Spark kept a hand on the egg and turned around to see the little girl had finally woken up. She was sitting up with her Clefairy wrapped in her arms like a stuffed animal.

He cheeks flushed red. “Oh! I’m s-sorry. I just- I overheard you- I—“

“Do you wanna come watch?” Spark asked the girl. “C’mon. We don’t mind.”

It took a moment for her to understand, her face going from confused to excited over a long few seconds. She nodded her head and hurried over with clefairy bouncing in her arms. Spark scooted to the side and let her have a front row seat.

The egg wiggled this way and that, nearly toppling over if it weren’t for Spark’s hand. They all watched with bated breath as the first crack broke across the top. The shell began to feel weaker, the cracks growing and spreading across the entire thing like a ripple effect. The first piece popped off the bottom and a distinct yellow tail unfolded.

“It’s a pikachu!” The girl giggled. 

Spark nodded eagerly, watching in utter joy as more of shell fell away. Pikachu shook off the rest of the shell, a part of it sitting between his ears like a hat. “Hey little guy…” Spark spoke softly, well aware of warm buzz surrounding the tiny thing. Surge had told him more than enough stories of the times when he first got his raichu. He must have been electrocuted hundreds of times over the course of a few months.

Holding back on his excitement for a few moments, Spark reached over to his backpack and pulled out a pair of gloves his uncle had given him for moments exactly like this.

“I want to pet it so bad.” Candela was practically vibrating, her hand twitching.

“Don’t.” They may have been the voice of reason, but Blanche was also leaning in closer, curiosity beginning to get the better of them. The little girl was looking back and forth between the trio and the newly hatched Pikachu. Her brows drawn in confusion.

“Why can’t you touch it?” she asked.

“Because as cute as they are, Pikachu’s can be jerks.”

“Candela.”

“It’s true, Blanche. Remember what happened last time.” They remembered what happened and it wasn’t an experience they wanted to repeat.

At this point in time, Spark had donned his gloves and was able to remove the piece of shell still stuck on pikachu’s head. The little electric Pokémon was looking at him curiously, its cheeks flashing with little sparks of electricity. It nudged his hand and looked almost disappointed that he didn’t react.

Spark turned to the girl. “Don’t listen to her; they’re just a little mischievous. Especially when they’re young.”

 After trying to resist, pikachu was letting Spark scratch him behind the ear. The little girl and her Clefairy were both staring in awe. After a few moments, Spark took off a glove and handed it to her. She looked at him a little hesitantly.

“Go on. Don’t be scared.” He reassured.

Clefairy hopped out of her arms and she slid on glove. Pikachu was watching her with big brown eyes, its head tilted to the side. It only took a few moments until she had the little thing rolled on its back while she rubbed its belly.

“If you want,” Spark nudged the girl getting her attention, “you can keep it. If you think you’re up to it.”

“R-really?” her eyes grew wide.

“Sure! I already have a pikachu. Sunshine would get jealous if he thought he had competition.”

Candela groaned and dragged her hands down her face. “I still can’t believe you named your pikachu Sunshine…”

“He’s the color of the sun. It makes perfect sense.”

“Yeah, to your weird brain.”

“Enough children.” Blanche cut in, literally scooting in between the two.

“We’re the same age, Blanche.” Candela elbowed them lightly.

“Funny, I never would have known.”

Spark laughed. “You know, you’re actually getting really good with your jokes, Blanche.”

“I’ve been study two fools very closely for the past year.”

“Oh yeah? Well that’s- hey you mean us, don’t you??”

“No comment.”

The little girl giggled at the three friends, both pikachu and clefairy had ended up curled up on her lap. The two seemed to be getting along just fine and the girl had managed not to get shocked once. Although her hair did seem a little frizzier that it was a few minutes ago. Spark grinned, his instincts helping him out once again. He had a feeling that she would be a good friend to this newly hatched pikachu. Something about her excitement we just encouraging.

Spark scratched the little Pokémon behind the ear one last time and picked up his stuff. Fluffy was already traipsing around in his poncho with Vaporeon just outside the doors. He zipped up his hoodie all the way to his neck and closed his bag. Blanche and Candela were doing the same; a very happy Flareon was peeking out of her trainer’s bag.

The three of them said good bye to the girl who waved a little oddly with not one, but two Pokémon in held her arms. She thanked Spark over and over again and even shouted thanks after the doors had closed. 

It had been raining since early this morning and it took until the middle of the night for it to let up. As soon as the three of them turned onto the main road, the night had become perfectly clear. The full moon lit their way and the overwhelming pull of adventure made their feet move faster. The end was almost in sight.

* * *

 

“What do you think, Blanche?” Candela whispered, her eyes darting from one person to the next. “Are any of them here?”

“It’s nearly impossible to say. This is a very crowed ship.” They looked around just as suspiciously as their friend. The three of them were lucky enough to be some of the first on board, tossing their things into their cabin, but now that seemed like a bad thing. They had been waiting for nearly an hour for everyone else to board.

Candela and Flareon had raced on first, securing a spot for them on the bow of the ship. According one of her brothers it was the best place to be when they finally shoved off. She made sure to call both her brothers and her mom when they got into town that morning.

Spark did the same, having a long conversation with Surge. They talked almost every week but something about today just made him want to hang out a bit longer. Somehow, he still had managed to keep Team Rocket a secret from his uncle. Even when he went home a few months ago; the temptation too enticing after such a long time, he hadn’t said a word about the group that knew about his giant friend.

The guilt was overwhelming, but he didn’t really know how to break it to Surge after he’d kept it a secret for so long. If anything, he was worried that Surge would be angry for lying. After all, Spark had never kept a secret from his uncle before.

Surge was a little confused that they three of them were going on such an expensive venture. Confused and also a little jealous.

“I’m just saying, my birthday is coming up and an island cruise sounds nice right about now.” The older man sighed, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Then buy a ticket, Uncle Surge. No one’s stopping you.” Spark teased.

“That’s not how birthday gifts works, squirt.”

“Think of it like giving a gift to yourself! After all, no one knows what you want better than you.”

There was a gruff chuckle on the other end and a sigh. “You know I think you’ve been spending too much time with that little friend of yours, Candela. She’s rubbing off on you.”

“She would probably take that as a compliment.”

“Yeah I bet she would.”

Spark giggled, leaning against the glass wall of the phone booth. It was warm in the little space but he felt oddly comfortable, probably because of the conversation.

“So when’s the next time you’re going to swing back home?” Surge asked, jumping to the question he usually saves for the end of the conversation. “Soon, I hope?”

“Yeah, soon. Maybe after I get back?” he rolled the cords between his fingers. “Yeah, after I get back. That sounds good.”

“You better. It’s been a too long.”

Spark rolled his eyes. “Uncle Surge, you say that all the time.”

“Say’s the nephew who’s only been home twice since he left.”

Spark bit his lip, fully aware that his uncle was speaking the truth. He could just picture the look on his face, that knowing grin he liked to use.

Surge laughed, finally releasing some of the tension. “Alright, alright I’ll stop bugging you. So did you ever hatch that egg you found?”

“Oh yeah!” Spark was grateful for the change of subject and immediately went on to tell his Uncle about the night they spent in the Pokécenter and the little girl they met. 

After a while longer, and several knocks on the door from both Blanche and Candela, Spark said goodbye to his uncle and promised to call when they made it to the island. He hung up and was hurried along by Candela to the docks. Now he was still sitting in the same spot as he was an hour ago and seriously considering taking a nap.

One loud shout from a crew member made him look up and then a whole ripple of shouts made him jump to his feet.

“Is this it? Are we going?”

“I think so? Oh look! They closed the doors!” Candela pointed to the side of the ship. The gangplank was being dragged away and the doors were being closed with a bang. Next to them, a sailor tossed down one of the thick ropes that had tethered them to the docks. She shouted something and pushed her way past a crowd to continue her work.

The boat shuttered beneath them. “Whoa… we’re moving. We’re finally moving.” Spark murmured.

“Ugh I can’t wait to finally get going. I love boats.”

“Really? But when we were kids you said that you hated the ocean.”

“Oh I do. Are you kidding? The ocean is too big and no one really knows what down there. That’s common sense. BUT boats are different. Boats are fun.”

“Whatever you say, Candela.” Spark sighed.

Blanche continued to watch the crowd like a pidgeot. The time to relax would come later and right now they had to be vigilant. There was no telling what they’d find when the three of them finally reached their destination but seeing how things had gone thus far, it wasn’t going to be easy. Blanche just hoped that their only problems would be getting to the islands. They didn’t want to run into Team Rocket when they were so close to the finish line.

The ship pulled away from the dock slowly, a myriad of smaller ships dotted around the shallow water. Sunbathing on some of the tethered boats were seals and a few dewgones, snoozing peacefully. All three of them stared at the Pokémon with wide eyes.

Once they were well enough away the engines began to roar louder. Candela leaned over the side and watched as the bow of the boat cut through the water with perfected ease. There was nothing in front of them but the clear horizon.

After about two minutes of leaning over the side with his friends, Spark discovered that he didn’t have a natural set of sea legs like the two of them. He crouched down the ground, his head and stomach spinning in discomfort. Blanche went to get him some water. Candela was laughing so hard she was crying.

“Hey! Are you guy’s trainers too?” a boy around their age was waving to them, a friendly smile on his face.

Candela quickly wiped a tear from her cheeks and waved back. “Yep. We’re off of to see what kind of Pokémon the island has to offer and what kind of trainers, too.” Her confidence was infectious.

The boy laughed. “Nice. Me too! I won my ticket in a tournament last month. Waiting has been killer, but now I’m finally here. Can’t wait to get there.”

“A tournament? Ugh I wish I’d known about that. Then I wouldn’t have had to pay for my ticket…”

“Yeah you would have. Cuz I still would have won.” He grinned coolly, his confidence shining through. Spark glanced up at the boy, his sickness suddenly forgotten. This guy had no idea who he was dealing with.

Candela’s eyes narrowed, a smirk playing on her lips. “Oh yeah? What’s your name kid?”

“Jace. And you are?”

“Candela.”

“Alright Candela, what do you say we have a battle when we get to the island? Three on three. Y’know, normal league rules.”

Candela’s golden eyes were sparkling at the idea. “You’re on.” They shook hands eagerly.

Just then, Blanche had returned with water and some crackers to settle Spark’s stomach. They eyed Jace suspiciously but didn’t say a word. Candela and Jace talked for a little while longer, the conversation bouncing back and forth from polite jokes to loud boasts. The two of them seemed like carbon copies of one another.

Jace turned to leave, reminding her of their battle on the island in a few short days. After he disappeared into the crowd, Candela sauntered back over to her friends and leaned her back against the railing.

It took all of five minutes before Blanche couldn’t take it any longer. “And what was that about?”

“Oh, nothing.” She shrugged. “Just a guy who thinks he could beat me and my Pokémon. We’re going to have a battle when we get to the island.”

“Oh.”

“ _Oh_?” she turned to them, her arms crossed. “And what that supposed to mean?”

“It was just a verbal cue indicating that I understood—“

“Cut the crap. You know it’s all for show.”

Blanche stood slowly, taking a moment to compose themselves. “I was just wondering when you were going to squeeze in this little battle. You know that as soon as we reach land we have to continue onward—“

“Ugghhhh I know, _I know_. We have to find out about the other three islands, we have to stay outta sight, we have to see if there’s any sign of Willow- I know already! You guys have been talking about it nonstop for the past year.”

“You guys? You make it sound like you’re an outsider, like you aren’t apart of this journey.”

“I’m not! When you really think about it, what am I on this whole little trip? What’s my role?” she was staring at them, her shouting drawing the attention of a few other people. “I’m nothing, Blanche. Nothing, when it really matters. I’m just a tag along while you two are about to go off with your giant awesome bird friends. Here I am just hoping that I don’t get stranded on some stupid island. So yeah, I’m going to battle that guy. I’m going to train my team and make them the strongest in the region.  Just little old, normal me. ” Her fists were clenched to her side, shaking.

Spark pushed himself up, staggering a little as the ship seemed to lurch forward. He ignored his queasy stomach and looked up at his friend. “Candela, we don’t think your nothing. You… your our friend. We wouldn’t have made it this far without you.” He reached out to her. “I get that you might feel a little left out, and I- I don’t know how to fix that…”

“You can’t.” Candela turned away, a frown settling on her face. “It’s just a fact, Spark. Something that just keeps hitting me in the face every second of every day.” She sighed loudly, her shoulders dropping. “I’m… I’m gonna go hang out somewhere else. See ya.”

Candela hurried off with Flareon scampering close behind. He watched her go, his feet moving after her before he really realized it. Blanche grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“Don’t. Let her be for a little while.”

“But-?”

Blanche shook their head. “Not right now, Spark.”

And that was their final word on the subject. After a few more moments of standing against the railing, Blanche excused themselves and headed back to the interior of the ship. Spark watched them, practically dragging Vaporeon away from the sight of the water. He couldn’t help but smile at that.

Now it was Spark’s turn to lean against the rail and look out on the sea. With his stomach finally under control he was able to appreciate just how beautiful the vast sea was. He watched the sun dip lower and lower into the sky.

Maybe he should have said something sooner. After all, he had noticed Candela’s mood would change from time to time. If he’d said something, maybe she wouldn’t be feeling like this. Then again, she had just said that he couldn’t fix this. That he couldn’t change the way she felt. That he couldn’t change the fact that he and Blanche were the ones who were different.

They were the ones who were marked. They were the ones who had to live with whatever they found one those islands. Whether it be good or bad, what they found there was going to change things all over again.

For the first time in a while, Spark was feeling a little lost again. A little sad. It was fun traveling with his friends, a dream come true really. But with their goal now in sight, how much longer would they be able to continue on together? Were they really going to find answers or was this just a wild spearow chase? Spark stood there for a long time, waiting for the answers to come to him. But there was no use in waiting. He was just going to have to go out there and find the answers for himself. 


	10. Chapter 10

As soon as they reach the island, Candela was nowhere to be found. When Spark woke the final morning of the cruise, he realized that she had already left their cabin. She had been pretty scarce the past few days, and when they did hang out she wasn’t her normal cheerful self. Blanche kept telling him that things would turn out fine on their own, but he still wanted to try and make things better. His good intentions might do more damage if he pushed too hard.

Spark waited on the docks until everyone else had passed him by. He waited for Candela to finally show up, but pretty soon no one was stepping off the ship except various crew members. Spark turned towards the shore, trying to see if she might be waiting for them. He didn’t recognize anyone in the port.

With heavy steps, Spark left with Fluffy trotting along beside him.

Blanche was down on the beach, the waves just missing their feet. Vaporeon was diving in and out of the water. Each time he came up, he glanced at his trainer as if he was showing off just how high he could jump. Spark knelt down and let Fluffy hop into his arms. He never really liked getting sand stuck to his paws.

Spark stood next to Blanche and watched the waves roll in. “I- uh couldn’t find her. She must have been one of the first one’s off.”

Blanche nodded, but didn’t say anything.

“Do you think… do you think she’ll come back?”

They frowned. “I… I don’t know. The odds aren’t exactly good. But I hope she does.”

“Me too.” Spark watched as Vaporeon rode a wave all the way to the beach, tumbling in the sand. He squeaked up at Blanche and then jumped back into the water. “I wish I could have done something. I wish I could have said something to make her feel better. To make her realize that she isn’t just a tag along…” He muttered, hugging Fluffy a little tighter.

“There’s nothing we could have done.” They sighed. “We cannot change how Candela feels. No matter what we would have done, no matter what we have said she still would have felt this way. We can only hope she gets it through that thick head of hers how much value her presence.”

“Aww that was almost nice, Blanche.”

“Thank you. I am improving.”

Spark laughed, burying his face in Fluffy’s fur. When he looked up Blanche was grinning wide.

After letting Vaporeon play in the water for a bit longer, Blanche call him back and they began heading towards town. The streets were narrow and long, jam packed with vendors and tourist all getting lost in the bright colors that seemed to blanket the island. There were all sorts of people, some of which they recognized from their voyage. And there were all sorts for Pokémon too.

Both Spark and Blanche nearly lost it when they saw a dratini curled around some guys shoulders. But they didn’t have time to stop and stare. Especially not with this crowed that suddenly swept them up. Spark felt like he was stuck in a rapidash stampede. He grabbed onto Blanche’s sleeve and hoped they had at least some idea where they were going.

And apparently they did. The two of them ducked into the towns Pokécenter, the place almost just as crowded as the street outside. With the amount of people who stopped in on a daily basis, this was the perfect place to get information.

They needed to know two things: How to get to the islands and was Team Rocket already here. Searching for Professor Willow had been put on the back burner after they had discovered the rich history of the three islands. They were likely to get more answers about their legendary friends going to the source rather than running themselves ragged in the wilderness looking for the elusive man.

Unfortunately, most of the people here were tourist just like themselves. None of them had any idea about the three islands just lingering off the coast.

Spark slouched in a nearby seat, frustrated. “We’re getting nowhere…” he sighed.

“It’s not like you to think negatively.” Blanche chided. They were looking outside, the setting sun looking brilliant against clear sky. “Maybe we should take a walk around town? It might be good to have a lay of the land.”

“Yeah…”

“Come. Let’s start in the market.”

Blanche had to practically push Spark out of the door, his gloom weighing him down like he was walking through mud. He just couldn’t seem to get Candela’s words out of his head. They trekked down to the market, a whole mixture of delicious scents guiding them as they weaved through the crowds. Here there were a lot more locals to get information out of. Spark was hadn’t mastered the art of asking strange question without drawing attention to himself, so he sat back and watched.

Spark watched the crowd, occasionally tossing treats to Fluffy and Vaporeon. So far they hadn’t seen any sign of the underground group but that just made him more nervous. They had to have come here by now. This place, those islands, they were just strewn with all sorts of legends about the three birds. It only took a little digging to find out and only a three day boat ride to get here. It was just too easy.

The people here didn’t look suspicious at all, the tourists even less so. Everyone was smiling and happy and it seemed impossible for any Rocket grunt to be hiding among them. Spark shivered, his imagination deciding to run away from him.

A hand came down on his shoulder and Spark shrieked. “B-Blanche! Don’t s-scare me like that….” He clutched his chest, his heart beating fast.

“Really? I called you name, you dolt.” Blanche pinched the bridge of their nose, sighing. “I found something.”

“Oh? What is it?” he asked, his shock fading.

“There’s man who’s preparing an expedition to one of the islands next week.”

“Is it Willow?”

“I don’t think so. From the sound of things, he’s a local. And quiet the strange one at that. Apparently most people avoid him if they have too.”

Spark hummed, thinking. “Well I’m sure he’s not that bad. Do you think he’ll take us with him?”

“I see no harm in asking. He lives in shack near the shore—“

“A shack?”

“Their words, not mine.” They sighed again.

“Alright, let’s go check it out. We should probably leave Candela a message or something. Hey we can ask the nurse at the poke…”

Spark had trailed off, his eye growing wide. He reached for Blanche’s sleeve and pulled them back.

“Spark? What are you—“

He motion for them to be quiet and pointed. Blanche followed the direction, looking at the crowd and wondering what made him suddenly freeze up. Past the carts with the delicious looking foods, past the people bartering and talking loudly. Just on the edge of all this color and life was a face neither of them wanted to see.

“Davis.” Blanche practically hissed. The unwelcome person wasn’t in their Rocket uniform, but their dark clothes seemed strange in such a vibrant place. He leaned against the stone wall behind him, a dark alley way opening up next to him.

“Do you think he saw us?” Spark didn’t look away; afraid that there would be more Rockets popping up if he so much as blinked.

“I don’t think so… what is he standing there for?” they questioned.

Just then, Davis peered around the market. Spark dropped behind an empty booth, dragging Blanche with him. He counted to 5 before peeking around their hiding spot. Davis still looked unimpressed, their cover safe.

“What’s he doing?” Blanche whispered.

“Just… looking.” Spark continued to watch. Davis turned back towards the alley, answering a call that they were both deaf to. With on final look around he pushed himself off the wall and turned down the alley. “He’s leaving. Should we follow him? See if there’s more?”

It looked like Blanche was running through the options in their head, quicker than ever. With each second Davis was getting further away and they might miss their chance. Blanche nodded ducking out of their hiding spot. Spark followed, the Pokémon at his side.

The alley was a drastic change from the hustle and bustle of the town. It was dark and cold, trash littering the ground and getting stuck to their shoes with every step. They followed it as it curved, the sound from the marketplace swiftly cut off. It felt as though they had been transported to a different place entirely. The only thing guiding them was the occasional sounds of Davis’s own steps.

As they turned a final corner, the alley opened up to the edge of the town. Spark and Blanche ducked behind a nearby dumpster while Davis was stopped by two other people. Their voices were low, too low to make anything out. Fluffy crouched on the ground and peek around the edge, acting as their eyes. Once the group had moved again he tugged on Spark’s shoelace.

 Davis and the two others were heading to a very large, old looking building. A crooked sign on the front was missing a few letters, but it was clear that this place used to be a hotel. There weren’t any lights on besides the bottom floor which made Spark kind of relieved. That meant there weren’t too many of them here now. But judging by the size of the building, they were getting ready for a lot more.

Blanche tugged on his arm. “I think we’ve learn enough.”

He nodded, glancing at Davis disappearing inside before turning around. “We better move quick before more of them come.”

“I agree. Let us find that man and see if we can speed up his expedition.” Blanche yawned loudly. “So-sorry… I’m just tired all the sudden.” They nearly tripped, putting their hand out on the wall to steady themselves.

“Blanche? Are you- are you alright?” Spark stood and instantly felt strange. His eye lids were heavy and his legs felt like they couldn’t hold him anymore. The sweetest most comforting smell wafted through the air. Spark held out his hand. The grains were tiny, so small the he had to squint to see them. Little blue grains that could only be one thing.

“Sl-sleep powder…” he groaned.

“Dammit… it was a trap….” Blanche hit the wall with their fist in frustration, sinking to the ground. Spark wanted them to stand; he wanted them to get out of there and back to the safety of town. But it was too late. They had fallen right into it.

Fluffy and Vaporeon were already fast asleep, the toxin working quickly on their smaller frames. Spark’s knees finally gave out and he slumped to the ground. The last thing he remembered was staring up at the moon while a venemoth soared high above them.

* * *

 If there was one thing Candela had learned while traveling with her friends it was that being alone meant being in trouble. They never were alone. Not for one second. So the fact that she had decided to take a few days to herself wasn’t only new, it was downright insane. Of course, she didn’t have the same paranoia that Blanche or even Spark had. She didn’t have a reason to keep looking behind her back for some psycho looking to kidnap her. No, if anything Team Rocket would probably leave her tied to a tree or something after taking the other two off to who knows where. She wasn’t anything special.

Candela held her perfectly normal hand up, staring at it in the bright lamp light. There was nothing there, nothing like what her friends had. Those strange marks that looked almost like scars. At first she thought they were weird, but now she wanted one more than anything. She rubbed her palm and began to wonder why she wasn’t chosen like the rest of them.

It was thought that was sure to slowly drive her crazy.

In all honesty, she did feel kind of bad sneaking past Spark while he waiting for her on the dock. She felt even worse when she walked by almost an hour later and saw that he was still there waiting. It’s not like this was forever. She was going to apologize and travel with them again she just needed some perspective. Time to look past her own selfish frustrations and move on. And she had to battle that loud mouth Jace.

Candela stood, stretching her arms high over her head. Flareon did the same arching her back and sighing happily. After getting off the ship the two of them had wondered around this kooky place quite a bit. The only reason she hid was because she nearly ran into Spark at the Pokecenter. In fact she was pretty certain that Fluffy saw he through the window, but besides wagging his tail the little guy did nothing to alert his trainer. 

So she hid in some big outdoor market, scrunched up between two booths and a building. The sun had finally set and now seemed a good time as ever to grab something to eat.

A familiar wave of platinum hair made Candela practically dive back into her hiding spot. She latched onto Flareon’s tail and pulled her back too. Ignoring the unhappy whine from her friend, Candela watched as Blanche made their way over to Spark.

“What the hell…” she whispered through gritted teeth. “Can’t I just get one day?” She looked down at Flareon who met her dismay with a grumpy look. Candela watched the two of them talk for a while, probably something important or whatever about their quest. With sigh, Candela made herself as comfortable as she could and prepared to wait once again until the others had gone. She leaned her head back and stared up at the moon. Flareon’s whining made her sit up.

“What?” She frowned at the Pokémon, the little things ear pushed back. “Did you eat something weird again?”

Flareon jumped on her lap, pawing at her shirt.

“What?! What is up with you?” Candela hopped up and grabbed her Pokémon. She held her at arm’s length trying to see if anything was wrong. Flareon wiggled in her in her grasp, turning and looking at something behind her. “There’s nothing there, you werido. Those guys probably saw us by now… lets go say hi, ‘kay?”

Just as Candela turned to find her friends she realized that they were gone. She scanned the crowd and saw them moving quickly to the opposite side.

“What’s with them…?” As she watched them go, Flareon finally managed to escape. She dropped to the ground and began scurrying after the others. “H-hey! Wait for me!”

Candela hurried after her, bumping into a gruff looking woman on the way. Her focus was switching between the little Pokémon weaving around the shuffling people and her friends that were moving with the same urgency. What on earth caught there eye?

Spark and Blanche turned down a very creepy and very dark alley. Candela slowed as she got closer and frowned. This was weird. Really weird. Given that she’d known the two of them for so long, it seemed pretty out of character for them to go running off into some dark alley. Especially considering how cautious Blanche usually was.

Candela looked down at Flareon who met her gaze with the same curiosity. She nodded and Flareon trotted ahead. She walked with careful steps, her adrenaline pumping in her ears. Something about this was setting her nerves on edge, but there had to be a reason her friends came down here. There had to be something that made it worth the risk.

Flareon peeked around a corner, her nose twitching as she sniffed the air. Just as Candela was going to turn the corner, Flareon squealed and began pushing her back.

“W-what? What is it?” Candela had never seen her friend act like this before. Flareon was shoving all of her weight onto Candela and forcing her back. A little dumbfounded, Candela took a few steps back until Flareon finally calmed down. She knelt down and reached out, petting Flareon’s fluffy fur.

She spoke gently. “Hey… are you okay?” Even though she wasn’t jumping around anymore, she was still on high alert, her ears standing straight up and standing perfectly still. This only served to freak out Candela more. After all, her friends just went around that corner.

Something tickled her nose, causing her to sneeze into her sleeve. She sneezed again, not quiet catching it this time and making a loud sound. Just then, she noticed a shadow move over the moon.

It looked big; wide fluttering wings moving faster than they needed to. Ignoring Flareon’s persistent wines, Candela stepped out around the corner. Whatever led her friends down this path, it turned out to be a trap. Rocket thugs stepped out of the shadows, wearing masks to that made them look all the more sinister. Spark and Blanche looked completely out of it, both of them limp and motionless.

Candela couldn’t seem to move. All her bravery, all her spunk, all of it seemed to disappear in a flash as one of her worse nightmares played out right before her eyes. A fear that had long ago pitted itself in her chest blossomed forward like some sort of poisonous flower.

It seemed that none of the Rockets had noticed that a third party was standing a little ways away. All of them were far too excited that their somewhat simple plan had worked. A bright red light shot out of a pokéball, one them calling back their venemoth after a job well done. Two more pokéballs opened and closed and Candela suddenly realized that those were for Fluffy and Vaporeon.

Her shock was slowly starting to melt away as he temper began to rise. With light steps, Candela ducked into the shadows and plastered herself against the wall. She was going to think this through. Come up with a plan and not just burst onto the scene. Yeah, that’s what Blanche would do.

Just as she began planning an attack, another figure appeared at the end of the alley. They were shorter than the rest of the Rockets, wearing normal clothes instead of that stupid uniform. Candela didn’t pay them much attention until one of the others clapped them on the shoulders.

“Good work, Davis. Looks like you finally redeemed yourself.”

Davis shoved the other guy off. “Shut up.”

At that moment, any sense of composer Candela had went out the window.  Without so much as a second thought, she reached for two of the pokéball on her hip and flung them into the air. Nina came prancing out, her light colored fur glistening in the moonlight. On her other side was a growling charmeleon, its flaming tail casting sinister looking shadows down the narrow alley way. 

Despite their obvious surprise, the Rocket members moved quickly to the threat. A line of them stepped forward, blocking Davis and two other members as they hoisted the unconscious Spark and Blanche over their shoulders.

“Nina!” Candela’s nintales moved without another word. She leaped forward at breakneck speed, preparing to burst through the line with a take down. Her efforts were thwarted by a thunder punch hitting her on the side from an enemy electabuzz. The six Rockets in front of her had all released their own Pokémon and looked eager to join the fray. The odds should have made her feel nervous, but it only served to trigger her adrenaline.

“Nina, jump back and use fire blast! Try to divide them!”

Nina planted her feet in front of her trainer and growled. A spiraling torrent of flames shot into the Rockets and their Pokémon, both of which dove out of the way. Electabuzz wasn’t quite so quick and got badly burned by the attack.

While Nina’s Fire Blast carried on, Charmeleon and Flareon rushed to either side and began battling the dazed enemy Pokémon.  Candela was barking orders to each side as two very different battles carried on simultaneously. Charmeleon was lucky, getting paired against a vileplum, a zubat and a wheezing. Flareon not so much. There was a particularly nasty looking ghastly that outshined all of its companions.

Nina was reaching her limit, the fire dwindling to nothing more than a weak puff of smoke. Her front legs buckled with exhaustion and Candela patted her back. “Good job, now get some rest.” Nina disappeared in a flash.  

Candela took in the scene, weighting her odds. It was three against two; victory just one last push away.

With a vicious roar, Charmeleon slashed the zubat out of the air. It landed on the ground with a thunk flapping its wings slowly.

“Charmeleon, over here!” The only thing standing between them now was the ghastly and electabuzz. Flareon was hanging on, but just barely. Her small size and natural speed let her dodge most of the attacks, but if one ever hit, it’d be game over for the little thing. Adrenaline was still pumping through Canadelas veins, but it was slowly being overshadowed with fear.

Ever second wasted here meant that her friends were being carted further and further away. Then Candela had a horrible thought: would this have happened if she had stayed with them? If she hadn’t let her temper get away from her again? If she had stayed, met up with the two of them after the cruise, this might not have happened at all. Guilt and other emotions clouded her mind like a fog.

Her momentary distraction was enough to change the battle. Without instruction, Charmeleon barreled into the fight with no rhyme or reason. Electabuzz, although burned, was still up and fighting. It attacked with thunder, temporarily blinding all of them with the bright light. Candela blinked rapidly, the battled still waging on without her. Something whooshed past her and rolled on the round.

“Cha-Charmeleon…” Candela gaped at the sight. With enormous looking effort, Charmeleon pushed itself to its feet. Candela reached for his pokéball but stopped mid motion. He growled at her, his eyes narrowing at the little device. She reached for it again only to get the same response. Even though he took one hell of a hit, he wasn’t ready to give up quite yet. “Alright, I get it,” she held up her hands in surrender, “you still wanna fight… okay then! Hit that jerk with an ember!”

Charmeleon reared his head back, flames dripping from the corners of his mouth. A short burst of flames shot out from his muzzle and nailed electabuzz right on top of its burn. It was sent stumbling back, nearly toppling over its trainer. Candela cheered. Now she had the advantage.

Ghastly was floating eerily close, the smoky haze surrounding its wide eyes and grin looking bigger than usual. It glared at Candela and stuck out its big lounge. 

“C’mon Ghastly, you can take this little girl.” The trainer sneered at her, a motion all of them seemed to do.

Candela stood tall. “Girl? You say that like a bad thing?!” The Rocket didn’t answer, a little taken aback by her confident display. “This girl is about to kick your ass. Charmeleon, Flareon! Flamethrower!”

The two Pokémon charged forward, trapping the creepy ghost on either side of them. The fire the two of them created was absolutely brilliant. The Rocket trainer covered his face, the heat too much for him to handle, but Candela stared right into it. The heat felt good. Having nowhere to run, ghastly was caught up in the flames as the two attacks crashed into one another. It screeched, an ear shattering sound. After the fire had faded, it was clear that Candela was the winner. Ghastly was whinning on the ground, its tongue hanging out the side of its mouth in an almost comical way.

Usually this would be where Candela would gloat, but she had things to do and friends to rescue.

“Charmeleon, return.” She unhooked his pokéball, but was met with a huff. “Oh come on, don’t look at me like that. You need to rest for a while!”

Charmeleon grumbled but dragged his feet closer. Candela pressed the round button and then secured the ball back on her belt. She and Flareon hopped over all the Rocket grunts and their tired partners, making a bee line for the end of the alley. Candela skidded around the corner and saw a tall dilapidated building bursting with people. All of them were in that ridiculous red and black uniform.

A beam of headlights shot out from the side of the building as a heavy looking van raced out from nowhere. It barreled away from the city, tearing at the grass and knocking bushes out of the ground. Candela’s stomach sank. Her friends were in that van. She was sure of it.

“Dammit…”

All the sudden, the ground rumbled beneath her feet. Candela stumbled, skidding to a halt to stop herself from falling over. There was a loud terrifying roar that sparked something in her memory. She had never come face to face with the beast herself, but when she stormed that Rocket base by herself, she remembered hearing that awful sound all the while. It was only after she Spark and Blanche were safe that she discovered what exactly had made that sound.

Candela turned towards the sound, the unfamiliar grip of fear tearing at her insides. The biggest onix she had ever seen in her life was cutting off her only means of escape. It big rocky body twisted and curled, like the beast just couldn’t stay still. Candela ran her hands over her pokéball but she froze before selecting one. Out of all of the members of her team, there wasn’t one that could take this thing on.

 Maybe Nina? She was strong, but even her flames weren’t going to make a mark on stone. Charmeleon was exhausted but that wouldn’t stop him from trying and then getting hurt. Flareon was like a little barrel of TNT, only way too tiny to make a difference. Round that out with a fearow and a newly caught tauros that didn’t always listen to her, it wasn’t looking good.

A voice shouted from somewhere behind the beast, issuing the first command. Candela scooped up Flareon and dove out of the way of an incoming chunk of building. Onix had ripped the corner off with jaws and flung it at the two of them like he was playing catch. They rolled on the grass, dust coating Candela’s throat and making her cough.

Flareon jumped up and began attacking with all her little might. Fire ripped through the night, lighting up the battle field and everyone in it. Candela hopped up to her feet and glanced over her shoulder. She could still see the van’s tail lights speeding further inland.

A chunk of earth crashed behind her, cutting off her line of sight. Candela yelped and jumped back.

“Ah ah, can’t have you chasing after your friends.” A strange, taunting voice called out to her.

Candela spun around and saw a very tall cleanly dress man standing next to Onix. He was very calm looking, not at all concerned with the torn up landscape or the alley filled with beat up trainers and Pokémon behind him. No, this guy was on a whole different level of weird.

“Where are you taking them?” Candela demanded, not at all affect by his demeanor.

“Oh right, you’re the loud one.” He looked down right bored with only served to tick her off. “Let’s hurry this up. Onix isn’t exactly a subtle creature. I’m sure the police are on their way.”

An idea popped up in her mind. “Well then, it looks like I’ll just have to keep you busy till they get here.”

The man stared down at her, a sense of smugness there that was nearly palpable.

“Aren’t you a funny little thing? Funny but annoying. Onix, make this quick. We’ve got other things to attend to.”

With that, the battle was back on. Candela’s confidence disappeared the moment Onix lunged towards them, the hopelessness of the situation dawning on her yet again, but she had a plan. She just had to hold out until the police came. With all this noise and rumbling, all the fire that her Pokémon caused, somebody had definitely noticed by now. She just had to buy them time…

Apparently they didn’t need as much time as she thought they would.

Out of the corner of her eye, another figure came rushing onto the scene. A flash of light and a second later a blastoise was charging forward. The figure hurried to her side, standing in front of the two of them. They weren’t a police officer; no uniform or even a shiny badge. In fact, they looked like just a normal person, rushing in to help for no apparent reason. As soon as they spoke, Candela realized they she knew who it was.

“Blastoise, use hydro pump!” Two gleaming turrets emerged from Blastoises’ shell. Water shot out with alarming speed, pelting Onix on its side. The force of the attack was staggering. Candela watched with her mouth agape as the giant rock Pokémon was sent flying back, toppling over several palm trees.

“Onix! Get up!” the Rocket man shouted, his anger etched onto his face. He clearly wasn’t expecting this.

“Use surf!”

Water appeared out of nowhere, flooding the space around Blastoise. With a loud roar, all the water raced forward, leaping in the air and crashing down on the still dazed Onix. Candela covered her face, the spray of the water reaching them even though they were standing a ways away. Onix was defeated.

The Rocket man was scowling, shaking out water from his hair. He called back Onix and for a moment, it looked like he was reaching for another pokéball. He stopped mid-motion and turned. Flashing red and blue lights were gleaming in the distance, sirens wailing. The man glared at the three of them one last time before taking off. Another white van had emerged from the building and skidded to a stop in front of the man. One of the doors swung open and he jumped it. They sped off.

Candela let out a long breath, one that she didn’t even realize she had been holding. She plopped down the ground and began gently stroking Flareon between her ears. 

“Are you alright?” a voice above her asked.

Candela looked up, realizing that Professor Willow hadn’t recognized her at all. It kind of made sense though. She only met the guy once and she was just a kid.

She stood, brushing the dust off her clothes as she went. “You don’t remember me, but I remember you and right now, I need your help.”

Willow looked at her, his expression downright hilarious. “Umm… why don’t we start out with introductions? My name is-“

“Willow. And I’m Candela. I met you once when I was a kid.” Recognition slowly began dawn on him. But now wasn’t the time to reminisce. “My friends were taken by Team Rocket, and I need your help to get them back.”

“What? What do you mean?”

Candela groaned. Adults were so stupid sometimes. “We can’t waste any more time! Spark and Blanche are in trouble and it’s all my fault!”

“Wait, Spark? Surge’s nephew?”

“Yes! They took off with him that way, “Candela pointed to the north, the boulder Onix threw that way being the only sort of marker she had to go on.

Willow finally seemed to understand the urgency of the situation and knelt down to be eye level with Candela. “Why did they take him?”

“Because of that stupid mark on his hand, duh!? Blanche has one too. They’ve been after the two of them for over a year now—“

Willow held up his hand for her to stop. “Slow down. You need to tell me everything.”

“But—“

“ _Everything_.”

Candela opened and closed her mouth a few more times, a whole slew of other arguments on the tip of her tongue. But judging from the look in Willows eye, it would be a waste. Looks like she had to give the guy a brief history of their adventure before they could go and rescue her friends. Candela took a deep breath and started at the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the cliffhanger. i'll try and get the next part up tomorrow so you won't have to wait to long! Thanks for reading :)


	11. Chapter 11

Willow wasn’t saying anything. He sat there, as still as a statue, staring at the ugly carpet of his hotel room. Candela had finished her story nearly 10 minutes ago. She expected something, anything from the famed professor. Really what she was hoping for was the same fiery drive that was making it impossible for her to sit still. She wanted to charge head first into the depths of the island and rescue her friends. Every second meant danger, and Willow couldn’t seem to get it through his thick head that they needed to move. They needed to find Spark and Blanche.

Candela paced the small room for what felt like the hundredth time. She stopped for a moment and watched the steady rise and fall of Flareon’s light colored fur. The little thing was taking a well-deserved nap after all the excitement that had just gone down. Her other Pokémon were at the pokécenter next door. Willow insisted that they stopped their first and although she wanted to get going, she couldn’t help but see that he was right. Willow wasn’t a world renowned professor for nothing.

All that now aside, Candela’s patience was only growing thinner. “Waiting around like this is pointless. We have to go after them! We’re just- we’re wasting time here.”

“Candela, calm down.” Willow voice gentle, but there was an edge to it that Candela tried to ignore.

“I can’t calm down! My friends have been kidnapped by raging psychopaths! We need to- we have to go-“

“We need help.”

She stared at him blankly, “…help? But we have help. You’re our help.”

“While I do appreciate your confidence in my abilities, I’m just one person. We can’t take on an entire organization with just the two of us.” He reasoned.

“Pfft, yes we can. Spark, Blanche and me have done it loads of times.”

That earned a not so nice look from the professor. Willow took a breath, his tone even. “Yes. So you’ve said, but why? Why didn’t you tell your parents? Or Surge? Why did the three of you think you needed to do this all on your own?”

Candela slowly blinked. Once, then twice. It all made sense before. Choosing not to tell the adults in their lives what was going on. It even made sense when she retold the story to Willow not moments ago. There was no way to know Team Rockets reach. What if by telling their families, they in turn became targets? Or what if Candela’s overprotective mother dragged her back home and never let her set foot on the road again. What if… what if…

All the what if’s in the world suddenly seemed infinitely better that what had happened in the past few hours. Now Candela was alone, her friends gone, and the list of bad decisions she’d made was growing longer by the second. Really, what were they thinking?

Candela became quiet, any excuses she had drying up after that little revelation. Willow sighed and scooted over to the telephone on the bedside table.

“What are you doing?” she asked hesitantly.

“Calling Jenny… she’s the local officer in town.”

“Your… not calling my mom? Or Surge?”

Willow set down the phone, and sighed. “No, as much as I should, but like you said, we don’t have time for that. I am going to tell Officer Jenny the situation and then we are going to find the others.”

This certainly brightened her dreary mood. “Really? We’re going?”

He nodded a grim look on his face. “Time is not on our side. Do you have any idea where Team Rocket might have taken them?”

“No… none at all.”

Just then, there was a noise just outside the window that made her jump. Flareon heard it too, her head shooting up and long ears twitching. It sounded again, this time a more definite scratching sound on the side of the building.

“What the hell is that?”

Willow, who was now on the phone, looked over at the window curiously. He covered the receiver with his hand and turned. “That’s must be Sai… can you go let him in?”

“Sai…?”

The name was familiar, how could it not be? That big, wonderful arcanine that she had met all those years ago at Spark’s house. She knew his dad took Sai with him when he left. She knew that Spark had no idea what happened to Pokémon afterwards. Candela assumed, however darkly, that Sai had been lost in the war as well. It was a thought she didn’t like, but one that would come back to her from time to time.

There was no way that the same lovable beast was standing outside, it was almost impossible. But still, she rushed to the window. Candela pressed her face against the glass panes, her excitement bubbling to the surface. It was the very same Sai she remembered from when they were kids.

Candela pushed open the window, the metal screeching against the frame. “Sai!” she called to him, his tail wagging incessantly. He looked almost exactly the same as she remembered. Big and fluffy, his fur looked a little greyer and there was a scar running across his muzzle, but there was no denying that face.

Sai seemed to recognize her, barking like crazy while she dropped out of the window. Candela opened her arms and let the big guy tackle her, rolling on the ground while he licked her face. “Sai…. Sai! I can’t believe it’s you!” She giggled, pushing away his face so that she could have a moment to breath.

“So you two know each other?” Willow had appeared at the window, his phone call done with.

Candela wiggled out of from under Sai but continued to run her hands through the thick tuffs of fur. “Yeah I met him when I was a kid. At Spark’s house…” Sai’s eyes seemed to light up at the name of his old friend. That feeling of regret creeped back into her chest. “… he’d be so excited to see you.”

Willow slid out of the window as well, slinging a bag over his shoulder. He waited for Flareon to jump out after them and then slid it closed. Candela looked at him, a little confused as to why a grown man would hop out of a window, but he didn’t seem to notice. She went back to other, more pressing matters.

“How did you even find him? Sai well… we all kinda thought the worse.”

“I didn’t find him at all, he actually found me. Sai wandered into my office one day, literally. I think he might have been looking for Spark, to be honest.” He pat Sai on the head who leaned into the touch. “Galvan, Spark’s father, we’d known each other for a while so I knew exactly who this big guy was. After that, he’s been following me around. Not that I mind of course.”

Candela sat up and stared at Sai, a new sense of courage springing up from seemingly nowhere. She pushed herself up and looked up at Willow. “Time to go?” she asked.

“Yes. We’ll start where they went missing. Jenny is going to spread word to her officers and then she’ll come and join us.”

“Okay.” 

* * *

 

The ground was rumbling. Moving up and down and up and down. It was wild and rough, with no pattern, no way of telling when it was going to dip down or jump up. It was starting to make him feel sick.

Spark felt stiff. His face was pressed up against the hard metal floor; cold seeping through his shirt and making him shiver. Everything continued to rumble around him, jostling his sore limbs. He desperately wanted to get up. To push himself up and get a good idea of where he was, where Blanche was, but his arms seemed pinned behind his back, bound together by something tight digging into his wrists. He didn’t have to think too hard what that ‘something’ might have been.

Surprisingly enough, his head didn’t feel foggy in the slightest. Spark knew exactly what had happened, who had been the cause and he had a pretty good idea where he might be right at this moment. With a lot of strange wiggling, Spark managed to sit upright.

They were in a car. No it’s bigger than that… a van maybe? That would explain all the bumpiness and his stomach ache. There were no windows on the side and no view of the driver. The rear windows were completely black and Spark couldn’t tell if that was because it was night time or because they had been painted over. Everything around them was completely bare. Lying on their side next to him was Blanche, their figure moving ever so slightly. He grimaced at the rope wrapped around their wrists. Spark poked them with his foot, speaking quietly.

“Blanche? Blanche… wake up,” they groaned, curling in on themselves. Spark poked them again, a little bit harder this time. “C’mon Blanche… we need to figure a way out of here…”

The dull sensation of worry began edging its way back into his head. Fear, panic, dread all of it was pooling his belly and climbing fast. This was it. The one thing they had been so careful to prevent, the thing both were terrified of, now it was real. It was no longer a nightmare that woke him up in the middle of the night, no longer a strange dark day dream. It was all very much real.

Spark sat back and leaned on the solid wall behind him. He could feel the whole thing vibrate as the car rushed off to whatever horrid destination their enemies had in mind. Blanche was waking up next to him, struggling to get up just like he had.

“Wha… where are we?” they grumbled, finally pushing themselves up.

Spark was breathing hard, his voice feeling unsteady. “N-no idea…” he managed to squeeze out.

Blanche’s attention shot over to their friend, the difference in his voice more noticeable than he realized. “Spark? Spark are you alright?” they shuffled over on their knees, looking kind of like they had no arms.

Spark shook his head. “What are we going to do, Blanche?”

“We’re going to get out of here.” They stated simply. “We’ve been in dire situations before and have always found our way out of them. We will do it again.”

“B-but how can you be sure?” his breathing was more rapid, coming almost in gasps as his panic began to rise. “We… we don’t even know where we are? Where the Pokémon are?! What- what are we going to do?!”

“We will figure it out!” Blanche raised their voice to match Spark’s outburst. He looked at them with wide eyes. It wasn’t common for Blanche to lose it, to show such fierce emotions. They weren’t a robot or anything but even around their friends, Blanche usually kept their emotions in check. Looking at them now, Spark was shocked but not enough to quite his own screaming fear.

“How?! How in the world can we figure this out? It’s over, we lost! Team Rocket is going to start another war with Zapdos… an-and more people are g-going to get hurt an-and lose things and i-it’s all m-my _fault_.”

Spark clenched his eyes shut, hot tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. Everything that had happened, everything bad he could remember, it was like it was all crashing down on him all at once. All the sudden he was having flashbacks of his first time meeting Team Rocket. The horrible fear he felt when he thought he’d lost Fluffy for good. The exact moment he found out he lost his father and best friend. It all came back, drowning him in it waves. Spark wanted to curl up, he wanted to wrap his arms around his chest and feel something. Something besides this overwhelming feeling of despair. However, what came next took him by surprise.

Blanche leaned forward and pressed their forehead against his own. Spark hiccupped, looking up at his friend but their eyes were closed. Their voice was calm and steady. “The proper thing to do in this situation would be to give you a hug, I think. But seeing as I can’t use my arms, I had to make do with this.”

“Blanche…”

“Shush. You need to calm down or you will have a full blown panic attack and that won’t help our situation. So just, focus on breathing. _Slowly_.” They emphasized that last word, cracking open one eye with an almost scolding look.

Spark did as he was told, closing his eyes and focusing just on his breath. It was hard, harder than it should have been, especially with the car speeding down the bumpy road. But no matter how much they were bumped and banged around, Blanche stayed steady in front of him acting as the only stable thing in this stupid van. Spark listened to their breathing and tried his hardest to match his own to it. It took much longer that he thought it would, but eventually he felt somewhat normal.

Blanche sat back, rocking a little as the van swayed. They spoke a little hesitantly. “Are you… okay?”

He considered this for moment, leaning his head back. “I’m better.” He finally concluded. Afterwards he added on a quiet little “… thanks…”

“You’re welcome.” Relief washed over their features and for a moment, there was also smile. But it was quickly replaced as Blanche moved on to the plight at hand. They looked around, taking in their surroundings for the first time since they woke up. There really wasn’t much to see. “I wonder where we’re going.” They mused.

“Another hide out?” Spark offered.

“Perhaps... it makes me wonder just how many members of Team Rocket on this cursed island.”

“More than we thought.”

“It appears that way.”

A few more moments of silence passed. Spark wiped the tears from his face as best as he could, rubbing his cheeks on his shoulders. He still felt a little wobbly, like a light breeze might tip him over, but that could also be blamed on the motion sickness settling in his stomach.

Blanche shuffled around the back of the van, scanning every inch of the area. They were determined to find something, anything to help them out of this situation. Spark watched them smoosh their face against the rear windows, trying to get a look. Their determination was enviable. Blanche hadn’t said it in so many words, but it was clear that they weren’t giving up. Whatever fears and worry they had was well enough controlled that they weren’t overwhelmed by it. Not like he was just moments ago. He looked up at them, a question burning the tip of his tongue.

“Blanche?”

“Hmm?” they didn’t turn when they spoke; concentrating on something he couldn’t see.

“How are you so calm right now? So much had happened… so much is about to happen. Aren’t you scared at all?”

“Of course I am.” They answered factually. “It would be foolish not to be. However I am confident that we will find a way out of this or, that Candela with notice our disappearance. She may be a little overzealous, but not dumb. Soon enough she will notice that you haven’t sent out Noodles to look for her. That alone would cause her suspicion.”

Spark nearly laughed at that and the way his friend had said it. It’s true, while he was sitting in market waiting with the Pokémon, he was considering calling on his new evolved pidgeot to scan the skies for Candela. It was funny to talk about something so light in such a dark situation. He glanced at his friend, another thought crossing his mind.

“I wish… I wish I could be as positive as you…” he mumbled, looking down at his shoes. He was feeling anything but that at the moment, the situation still looking incredibly bleak.

“Hmm… funny. I used to think the same of you.”

“What? Really?” they said it so casually; it almost sounded like a joke. Blanche turned from the window, sighing all the while.

“Of course, you dolt. During the course of our journey your overwhelming optimistic attitude has been both a source of frustration and inspiration. It has been interesting to say the least.”

Spark stared at them, a mixture of confusion and wonder plastered over his face. Before he could say anything, the van began to slow. Both of them froze in anticipation. The van suddenly jerked, the driver slamming on the breaks and sending both Spark and Blanche tumbling in to the back doors.

“Owww…” Spark grumbled his head throbbing. “What was that about?”

“I-I don’t know. But we should be prepared for anything—“ The doors opened up. Blanche was leaning on them quiet heavily and fell onto some unsuspecting Rocket grunt. Spark nearly did the same but two pairs of hands roughly grabbed him before that happened.

One of the grunts, a very tall and fierce looking woman, picked Blanche up by the collar of their jacket. “Already trying to escape, little one? But we’ve only just arrived.” She set them down roughly, shoving them back against the van.

Spark felt a flare of anger and wonder for a moment if he should just try and summon Zapdos now. It would probably get them out of here, and Team Rocket might be too shocked to do anything. Or he might be playing into their trap once again. Of course there was the obvious reason why neither of them had summoned their birds in all the time they had been running. Neither Spark nor Blanche knew how to get them to come.

Some of the requirements were clear; strong emotions like anger or fear. But right now Spark was feeling both and there was no giant lightning bolt shooting out the sky to save them. There was something missing. Some part of the equation they just couldn’t figure out, and did Spark ever wish that he knew what it was.

The sky was perfectly dark now, the sunset they watched from inside the pokécenter feeling like a life time ago. Spark looked around and tried to get a sense of where they might be. Nothing really stood out. Typical island scenery with tall palm trees and loose long grass poking through the sand. There were tents set up all around, with different types of cars loaded down with supplies. All around were more Rockets and there Pokémon partners, staring at them like some sort of parade. There were a lot more people here then he would have guessed.

Two grunts were walking behind him pushing him along whenever he slowed. Blanche had the same problem, the woman from before gripping their shoulder tightly. They were being lead to the only real building in the area. A weather worn house close enough to the ocean that you could see it from the front porch. Spark glanced around; looking for any other sign of life that they could run to if they managed to escape. But this camp was the only thing he could see. All around them was darkness.

Blanche and Spark were shoved into the house, surrounded once again by a bunch of wicked looking Rockets. They were pushed along, tossed around like they were nothing more than the supplies carted in earlier. No one said a word as the two of them were sent stumbling into a back room, the door locking behind them. Blanche immediately went to the door and pressed their ear against the wood to listen.

Spark took to looking around, seeing if there wasn’t anything here that might be of use. Unfortunately it was just as bare as the back of the van. Windows boarded up, no furniture, not even dust seemed to settle here.

“…well now what?” he muttered, trying to adjust his arms so the ropes wouldn’t sting so much.

“Now we wait.” Blanche whispered. They were still leaning against the door. “It sounds like they’re… waiting. For instructions I believe… damn… they’re talking too softly.”

Spark plopped down the floor, crossing his legs. “I didn’t see that guy.”

“What guy?”

“That guy from before. Y’know, tall, scary has an onix.” 

They nodded. “You mean Cardinal. Come to think of it, I didn’t see him either. That is a bit strange.”

“Maybe that’s who their waiting for?” Spark reasoned. Blanche didn’t answer, just another curt nod before going back and trying to eavesdrop.

All this waiting was doing nothing for his nerves. Spark stared at the wall, trying not to think about where he was or where in the world Fluffy could be. Thinking about that stuff would only make him freak out again and like Blanche had said, that wasn’t going to help their situation.

So he flooded his mind with other things. Like just how many Rockets were standing outside the door. Where the best place to hide would be if they got out. How close the ocean was. How there was a nail sticking out of the floor board over there. When was the last time he ate? What was—

Spark nearly toppled over. That nail could get these ropes off.

He pushed himself up and hurried over to the spot, sitting so that his fingers could reach the nail. It wasn’t sticking out as far as he had hoped, barely enough so that he could get a good grip on it. He tugged on the thing, switching hands and wiggling it to get it loose. It was moving, painfully slow, unsticking itself from years of being wedged into the floor boards. Sparks fingers began to ache, but he couldn’t stop even if his fingers went numb. This tiny piece of metal was the only tangible piece of hope he had.

The nail was nearly free. One final pull and they would have a way out of their bonds. Blanche suddenly cursed under their breath and shuffled away from the door. They looked at Spark confused and that’s when he realized in all his excitement, he’d forgotten to tell Blanche what he was doing. The door swung open just as Spark yanked the nail out of the floor.

His stomach dropped at the familiar sight of Cardinal. The man was just as intimidating as he was a year ago. Unlike before, he looked disheveled and annoyed. It added another layer of creepy on top of an already precarious pile.

Cardinal glanced between the two of them, his frowned deepening. “Blanche. Been too long.” He nodded to them, a glimmer shinning in his otherwise dull eyes.

Blanche’s eyes narrowed. “Where are you taking us?”

“Tsk tsk, don’t you remember your manners?”

“You don’t deserve pleasantries.”

Cardinal groaned in the most proper way. “Already you’re giving me a headache.” He turned to Spark, a different look lighting up his face. “And the other one. Spark, correct? Really nice to see you again.”

Spark resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at the guy. Instead he settled for a glare while he stuck the nail in the space between his wrist and the rope. If anything Cardinal just looked amused at the look.

“So sorry I was late. I had a bit of a run in with the third part of your party. Terribly annoying girl.” Blanche and Spark looked at each other, the same worry coursing through them.

“Candela?” Spark asked tentatively.

“I can never remember her name. Nevertheless, she won’t be a problem anymore.”

“What did you do to her?”

Cardinal finally relaxed. He’s features stretched into a taunting grin. “The details aren’t important, but trust me when I say she won’t be able to mount any sort of rescue.”

Spark clenched his teeth, his whole body practically vibrating. Cardinal’s seemed so sure, so confident about it but there was something off. Something about his disheveled appearance. Something about the look on his face when he walked in. Candela wasn’t out of the picture just yet. There was no way. No, Cardinal was just trying to make them feel alone and scared and it wasn’t going to work.

“You’re lying.” Spark practically growled. The tone of his voice startled him a bit. It was so confident and harsh, nothing like how he normally sounded. Out of the corner of his eye, Spark noticed Blanche staring at him with wide eyes. Apparently the change wasn’t just noticed by him.

Cardinal’s scrutiny landed on him, a frown settling back on his face. He took two long strides over to Spark who stood to meet the challenge. The fear that was running in his mind right now was nearly overwhelming, but this time Spark wasn’t going to let it get to him. He wasn’t going to let it slow him down again.

“And what makes you say that, you little _brat_.” He spat out the last word like it had a bad taste.

Spark took a breath and stared up at Cardinal. “Just... trusting my instincts.”

There was a moment where Cardinal’s confidence seemed to wavier. A moment so tiny that it could have very well gone unnoticed with the blink of an eye, but Spark didn’t blink, he was staring right into Cardinal’s eyes and saw that moment of uncertainty. It was that tiny misstep that gave him all the confirmation he needed.

The air suddenly whooshed out of his belly as Cardinal drove his fist into Spark’s stomach. He fell back, wheezing in pain as the older man stood above him with an indifferent expression. “Did you little instincts warn you about that?” he mocked.

Blanche waited until Cardinal made his way back to the door before hurrying over to Spark’s side. They clumsily tried to help him back to his feet. Cardinal seemed completely oblivious to the fact that he just punched a 12 year old. In fact he seemed pretty calm about the entire situation even though it was all but confirmed that Candela was still out there looking for them. Something big was fueling his actions.

“It’s been a long time coming, this little reunion.” He was addressing them both now, his gaze flicking between the two of them like and impatient ekans, all remnants of the previous conversation gone. “Even longer still since the two of you have seen your bird friends. Are you excited to see them?”

Spark and Blanche looked between one another, confused. “What d-do you mean?” asked the young boy, still a little breathless.

“We’re going to pay your titans and up close and personal visit. Tiresome, really, but seeing how difficult it is to get them to come to us, we might as well go to them. With the two of you leading the way on your respective islands.” With practiced motions, Cardinal began straightening his jacket while his eyes glazed over imagining the scene. “Simple, really, as most genius plans tend to be. You will venture on to the islands and lure out your birds, just enough so that we can just snatch them up. It’ll be a great deal easier then when we captured Moltres…”

Their eyes went wide. Cardinal grinned at the looks on each of their faces. He wanted to see this, the surprise, the fear. He wanted to see their reactions.

Blanche was the first to speak. “You… You are lying.”

“Oh but I’m not.” He kneeled down, eyes practically glowing in excitement. “Turns out, a titan not bonded with a person isn’t much of a titan at all. Well, that makes it sound easy. Can’t tell you how much damage we incurred. Lost two whole teams and took nearly 6 months of planning. But we were successful, that’s all that matters in the end. We haven’t even been able to approach the other two islands, but I think with the two of you, that is going to change.”

With a flick of his wrist, two grunts appeared by the door. They slid in and took their places behind Spark and Blanche respectively. Spark clenched his fists, suddenly nervous. The nail was tucked safely away, but there was always the unlucky chance that it might come loose when Cardinal hit him. If it had, that would be the end of the escape plan. With the nail still safe in its hiding spot, Spark followed Cardinal calmly, still in shock over what he just said. Moltres, the fire bird, was already a prisoner. It couldn’t be true.

Apparently they had spent more time unconscious than he thought. The night sky was fading as the rosy glow of morning was taking over the sky. A large dock was laid out in front of them, something he didn’t remember seeing when they first arrived. Standing in the distance looking strangely beautiful were the three islands they came for: Fire, Ice, and Lighting.

Spark didn’t know which was which, but it really didn’t matter. He was about to get an up close personal tour of them soon enough. He glanced around as best he could, but the camp Team Rocket had set up still looked like it was in the middle of nowhere. Even in the soft morning light, he couldn’t see a trace of the port town where they arrived.

They walked along the dock towards a rather large and fancy looking boat. Yacht was probably a more accurate word. People we’re loading things on an off, including a few containers of pokéball’s. Spark could only guess if they were full or empty, and no matter which it was he had no idea why they bothered bringing them along.

The yacht rocked as they stepped on, making Spark’s stomach wavier. Maybe he could use his sea sickness as a distraction or something. That probably wouldn’t work.

Cardinal left them on the deck to be led somewhere for ‘safe keeping’, as he so creepily put it. The two of them were taken into the ships hold which turned out to be nothing but a medium sized closet. This ship clearly was built for comfort and not for, well, kidnapping. There wasn’t much room to sit or do anything but stand shoulder to shoulder while the door cut off the sunlight. 

Once again they were left to do nothing. Well not exactly nothing. There was no way lock on this door, seeing that holding two kids prisoners wasn’t what it was designed for, but there was at least one person standing outside, judging from the shadows the cast underneath the door. Whatever they said to on another could probably be heard through the thin wood.

Spark wiggled the nail out of its hiding spot. His stomach was still throbbing; a bruise was probably already growing in the spot where Cardinal hit him. He focused on others things and did his best to ignore the pain. Next to him, Blanche was staring at the door intently. “This is worse than I could have anticipated.”

“Yeah…” Spark began his work, jamming the pointed end of the nail in to the rope.

“I didn’t think… I didn’t think it would be possible for them to capture Moltres on their own. Then again, I thought that Moltres would have bonded with a trainer by now.”

“Yeah, why do you think they haven’t?”

“I couldn’t say.”

“Why do you think they were able to capture Moltres in the first place? Why was it so easy?”

Blanche fixed him with a tired look. “You realize I don’t have the answers all the time, Spark.”

“I know, but you’re good at guessing.”

They were silent for a little while, thinking hard about the subject. “Perhaps the reason is just as Cardinal said. Perhaps the birds are weaker without a trainer to bond with.”

“That’s weird. Why would we make them stronger? They’re legends. Actual legends.”

“Think about it Spark. They’re Pokémon. People having been able to bring out the full potential of Pokémon for centuries. Once you think about it like that, it’s not too hard to believe.”

The nail scraped against his already raw wrists, making him flinch. Blanche noticed his discomfort and nearly said something about. Spark shook his head quickly and motioned to his hands tied behind his back. A knowing look sudden wash over Blanche’s features. They nodded, listening through the door once again. Spark continued.

“This is kinda weird but, I am excited to see Zapdos again.” He concentrated on a spot on the wall, words just spilling out of his mouth to fill the time. “I wish it wasn’t like this but… it’s been a long time. Sometimes, I forget that he’s actually real.”

“How old were you again?” they asked.

“Seven.”

There was no telling how much progress he was making. The rope still felt just as tight. Spark worked harder, cutting the rope one little piece at a time. He kept talking too, both for his own sake and for the sake of their cover.

Something snapped and Blanche coughed to cover the surprising noise. The ropes shifted and Spark was able to wiggle out of them. He breathed a sigh of relief moving his sore arms as much as he could in this tight space. He motioned for Blanche to turn so that he could untie them.

“So,” Spark tried to hide his excitement.], “got any ideas?”

“A few, all of which are impossible with our current disability.” He grinned at that, the knot holding them back finally coming loose. Once free, Blanche dropped to the floor quietly and tried to look through the small space under the door. The held up one finger, answering the question on his mind.

There was only one person standing outside that door.

The two friends exchanged glances, determination flowing from the both of them. Spark and Blanche squeezed next to each other, both leaning on the door ready to push as hard as they could.

“I’m sorry for- um- freaking out earlier.” Spark mumbled, his voice wavering ever so slightly.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Blanche spoke firmly. “We’ve been through a tremendous ordeal, one that won’t end until we take action. It’s only natural to feel overwhelmed.”

“Yeah…”

“On come now, stop getting down on yourself.”

Spark closed his eyes at took a few deep breaths. The nervousness in his belly quieted with each deep lung full of air and his mind seemed to narrow in its focus. It seems he still hadn’t exactly calmed down from his little panic attack in the back of the van.

“We’re going to get out of here.” He breathed, needing to believe the words more than anything.

Blanche nodded. “Yes we are.”

“We still have lots of stuff to do. I only have 5 gym badges.”

“Me as well.”

“And I still haven’t seen a ditto.”

“That you know of.”

“Good point.” Spark chuckled. The two were still pressed up against the door, the light hearted conversation both wasting time and giving them courage. Spark focused on all the positive things. All the things he had done and the things he wanted to do. He could picture it all, like it was a movie playing out in front of him. All the adventures still to be had, all the friends to meet and challenges to face, this was just a roadblock that he would overcome.

Blanche was watching their friend with a worried expression. That worry disappeared as Spark threw a reassuring smile at them. They raised their brow, asking a question with the simple motion.

_Ready?_

Spark nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gah i'm sorry for these cliffhangers, but i kind of love them.
> 
> thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

The tracks from the van that took her friends cut off almost as soon as they begun. Candela frowned, trying to figure out how the trail could have disappeared so quickly. It hadn’t even been a full day.

“Are you sure it went this way?” Willow asked.

“One hundred and ten percent sure. Because that rock almost hit me when I tried going after it.” The mess that onix had made was still there. Something like that was a lot harder to hide then some stupid tire tracks. Flareon had her nose to the ground along with Sai, but it didn’t look like they were having much luck either. Too many people had been running around here last night for them to find anything solid.

Candela kicked a rock out of frustration. “Ugh why isn’t there a trail!”

“They must still have people in town covering their tracks”

“Then let’s find one and make them tell us where they took them.”

“That would work, but we have no way of knowing who’s with Team Rocket and who isn’t.”

She kicked another rock and racked her mind for some other solution. Flareon trotted over to her, leaning against her trainer’s leg in a small sign of comfort. “That officer lady could probably find ‘em.”

“I’m sure her team is searching the town as we speak.” Willow’s words didn’t do anything to calm her. Really it just made her more anxious.

It had been 2 hours already. 2 long hours that Candela hated to wait through. It was for the best, she kept telling herself, telling Willow everything was a necessity and now she had the police to help her out. But it still kind of felt like they wasted too much time. Now the tracks leading them to Spark and Blanche were gone and they had no other leads. Hopefully Officer Jenny would find something on her way there.

Candela trudged back to the alley where she fought all those Rockets. Maybe someone left something behind that would give them a clue. Sai followed, still sniffing the ground. Flareon seemed to have given up in that regard and just trotted next to her trainer wherever she went, occasionally pawing the ground where there might be a clue.

The alley didn’t look any different from before, minus a few burn marks and chunks of the walls missing, nothing that would help them in their search.

Sai suddenly froze, his noes glued to the ground. He moved slowly, barely lifting his big paws as he inched along. Candela watched with bated breath. It looked like he was finally on to something. Sai sniffed and sniffed, retracing his steps every so often. His head shot up and he barked loudly, the sound made Candela jump as Sai raced pasted her and back through the alley.

“P-professor?! Sai’s found something!” Candela yelled over her shoulder as she hurried to chase after the large arcanine.

They raced down the alley, back to the outdoor market that was still bursting with people. Candela winced as she heard a loud crash just in front of her. She gaped at the mess Sai had accidently created. By the look of it, he stumbled out of the alley and straight into a candy apple cart. He hopped up, a little dazed and then took off yet again. Candela followed, muttering apologies as she climbed passed the poor cart owner.

Sai left a trail of startled people wherever he went making it easy to follow the fast moving Pokémon. The narrow city streets were hard to maneuver and soon enough Candela was out of breath from running. She turned a corner a little too sharply and clipped her should on a wall, swearing loudly. She pressed on, Sai barking somewhere nearby. Candela pushed passed a group of people and realized that she ran all the way back to the dock.

A blur of movement caught her eye. It zoomed underneath the nearby boardwalk and Candela heard a fierce growl. She hurried down to the beach, her legs burning as she ran through the soft sand. Sai had pinned someone down, his teeth bared. The person yelped in fear and pushed against the paw on their chest to no avail.

“Sai! Sai- let ‘em go…” She grabbed a fist full of fur and tugged. Whoever he’d managed to track down sounded absolutely terrified. “We need them to talk to us. You’re going to scared them to death!”

After a few more tugs, Sai lifted his paw and let the person go. They scrambled to their feet, kicking up sand as they went. Candela gradually let go but Sai was still snarling at the person. She gently scratched behind his ear in an attempt to calm him down.

“Control you stupid, arcanine. That thing nearly killed me!”

Candela turned to face the person and instantly regretted pulling Sai off of him. Davis was brushing the sand off of his clothes, too concerned with that to notice the familiar girl standing in front of him. Candela didn’t think much about what she did next. She tightened her hand into fist and punched him square in the jaw.

Davis was completely caught off guard and stumbled from the hit. “WHAT THE—“

“Where are my friends?!” Candela hand was throbbing, but she held it up ready to strike again if needed.

“What are you… oh! It’s y-you.” His face paled when he realized just who was standing in front of him. Davis may have been a few years older that her, but he looked downright horrified being confronted by her. He took a few steps back, looking ready to bolt. Sai circled around him, and Flareon cutting off the other side. He was surrounded.

Candela took another step forward, her voice growing louder. “Where are my friends?!”

“I-I don’t know…”

“Don’t lie to me! I saw you the other night with your dumb little gang. I saw you guys take them!”

“J-just calm d-down—”

“NO. You are going to help me find my friends!” Davis winced at her anger, his face completely white like he’d just seen a haunter for the first time. He opened closed his mouth a few times, trying to say something but was too shocked to actually form words.

“Candela!” Willow’s voice came up behind them, sounding all out of breath. He slowed to a stop and bent over trying to catch his breath. After a few moments, he finally was able to talk. “Candela, what’s going on?”

She didn’t look away from Davis for one second. “Sai found us a Rocket. He was just about to tell us where his buddies took Spark and Blanche.”

Willow looked surprised to say the least. He took a tentative step towards Davis who was suddenly focused on his shoes. “You’re… you’re apart of Team Rocket? But you’re so young?”

“Pfft, that doesn’t mean _squat_ to these people. Blanche was only like eleven when they blew up their first pokécenter…”

Apparently Candela had left out the part about Blanche being a part of Team Rocket when she told him what was going on. His head whipped around to her faster than a vine whip. Candela chewed he bottom lip and hoped that she wouldn’t have to explain all of that right now. Willow shook his head and sighed, turning back to Davis.

With an actually adult in situation, Davis suddenly became a lot more tense. He squirmed under Willow’s gaze and his eyes kept darting to the sides while he tried to look for an escape. But it was pointless.

“So… you’re with Team Rocket…?” Willow asked with a much softer tone than Candela was using earlier. Davis nodded glumly. “So you know where they took the others?”

Another slow nod.

“You have to take us to them right away.”

Davis still seemed to be holding onto one tiny shred of defiance. Didn’t say or do anything, just clamped his jaw shut and frowned.

“Davis, you son of a—“

“Candela…” Willow eyed her.

“Sorry… Davis you jerk, you better tell us where they went or I swear—“

“You’ll what?” his courage was growing, along with the red mark on his cheek. With her temper hitting a dangerous high, Candela lunged for Davis fully intending to hit him again. Davis shrieked and fell back, landing on Sai who snarled at him. Candela’s attack was rudely cut off by Willow grabbing her mid-motion. She shrieked and swore, swinging her limbs widely trying to get at Davis.

“Candela! C-calm down!” Willow was trying in vain to get a handle on the situation.

“I won’t!” Candela broke free of Willow’s grasp and stumbled onto the sand. “Everyone keeps telling me to calm down… well I can’t! Not when my two best friends in the entire world are _gone_! Not when I have a chance to get them back and- and apologize…”

All her anger and fury dropped away and that one thought that had been plaguing her for the past few hours swam to the surface. She never should have run away. She never should have gotten angry. All of this should never have happened, but it did, and now more than anything, Candela wanted to find her friends and tell them just how sorry she was.

A hand dropped on her shoulder, startling her for a moment. She looked up and Willow was there, a small smile on his lips. It wasn’t much but for some reason it did make her fell a little better. Candela took a breath and refocused.

Davis was looking wearily at Sai’s big snarling snout, a much scarier sight with that scar marring his muzzle. Candela crossed her arms and spoke confidently. “Where is Team Rocket hiding?”

His glare shot back over to her, but there was nothing behind it. His courage all but evaporated. “They… uh, they…” his shoulders dropped in defeat. “They’re on the north side of the island. A cove. They- _we_ \- have a camp over there.”

“How many?”

“Close to a hundred.”

Candela looked up at Willow. His face was squished into a frown and it was clear he was thinking hard about the odds. On the boardwalk above them, a set of tires screeched to a halt. A car door opened and then slammed shut as a voice called out.

“Willow? Professor Willow was that your arcanine making a mess of my town?”

“Jenny?” Willow hurried out from under the boardwalk and waved to a figure up above. “Jenny! You found us!”

“That’s _Officer_ Jenny.” She scolded. “And what was your Pokémon doing, causing all that mayhem? We have more important things to deal with, like those missing children.”

“Sorry about that, I can explain but it’ll have to be on the way.” He motioned for Candela and Davis to follow. The latter had to be pushed along by Sai. They ran up the steps and met Jenny by her car, her eyes still wide with surprise. “We know where Team Rocket took the kids. He is going to lead us to them.”

“I-I am?” Davis was fine telling them where Team Rocket was hiding, but he did not look ready to travel with them to the camp. Candela nudged him with her shoulder, her fist clenched. “I guess I am then…”

“You already found the kids? I’m impressed.” Jenny looked it too. “Alright, everyone get it. I’ll radio the station for back up.”

All of them piled into the car except for Sai who was just too big to even try. He was going to follow them as best he could on foot. Flareon planted herself in the space between Candela and Davis, eyeing the suspicious boy as intently as her trainer was earlier. Jenny turned on the sirens and backed up to the road. She slammed on the gas, jolting forward and making everyone thankful for their seatbelts.

They made it to the outskirts of town in minutes. Jenny was asking Davis for directions and he was helping with only a little bit of sass. But Candela couldn’t focus on that right now. Her heart was pounding in her ears.

This was it. This was finally it. They were on their way to rescue Spark and Blanche. Candela watched the dark scenery fly by, the sirens finally quiet after leaving the city. It was going to take a while to get the cove Davis described, hours actually. Willow suggested that she get a bit of shut eye to prepare for the ensuing battle. Her mind was way too full to relax right now. Instead Candela rested one hand on Flareon and stared out the window.

* * *

 

Blanche was counting down. Mouthing the numbers silently as Spark braced himself to move. They placed a steady hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly. As soon as they reached one, Spark shoved the door with everything he could muster. The door flew open and slammed into the unsuspecting Rocket guard. The man was shoved in to the wall hard, his head hitting with a resounding _thunk_.

Spark steadied himself, ready to shove off any upcoming attack, but the man was slump up against the wall. Knocked out cold.

“That went surprisingly well.” Blanche cautiously poked the Rocket’s foot with their own. Spark nodded eagerly. “Let’s hope our luck stays. Come, someone might have heard that.”

Circling to the man’s other side, Blanche grabbed onto one of his arms and began dragging him to the closet. Spark helped, picking up his other arm. With the remaining rope they left behind, Blanche bound the man’s arms and legs together to try and buy them more time if he woke up too soon.

Spark glanced down the hall. “So now what?”

“We need to get up on deck, and then secure a way to shore.” The two of them began cautiously moving forward, listening intently for any sort of sound.

“And how are we going to do that?”

Blanche grimaced, “I’m still working on that.”

Faint voices made them both freeze. They waited and listened eagerly, not wanting to move until they knew for sure which way those voices were going. Spark could practically feel them getting closer. He looked around, panicked until he noticed another door near the end of the hall. He hurried forward, grabbing Blanche’s hand as he went. Thankfully the door was open when he turned the handle and he pushed his way inside, closing it quickly behind them.

 They had stumbled into a state room, and a fancy one at that. Like the rest of the yacht, it was streamlined and nicely decorated with ornate furniture and decorative pictures hanging on the walls.

Spark pressed his ear up against the door. “I think… I think they’re getting further away.”

“We have another problem, Spark.” Blanche had wondered deeper into the room then he had. He turned around and noticed them hovering near a small round window. Spark went over to them, confused. Just as he was about to ask them what they meant, his eyes shot over to the window.

Water was rushing past them at an impressive speed. Spark gaped and rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing things right. “We-we’re moving? Since when are we moving??”

“I don’t know.”

“I didn’t feel anything…” Spark wracked his mind and tried to remember when they had shoved off. This boat wasn’t anything like the large cruise ship they came on, big and shuttering, with every little movement noticeable no matter where he was. No, this thing was gliding on the water as easy and smooth as a lapras. His heart sank. “This is going to be even harder.”

Blanche nodded solemnly. Before either of them really had time to let that revelation sink in, a shout outside the door made them jump.

“They’re gone!”

“What the hell? H-how did they get out?!”

“It doesn’t matter, just find them!”

Spark yelped in surprise. “Well that didn’t last long.”

“Come on!” Blanche grabbed his hand and hurried towards the door. They planted the both of them behind it just as it swung inward. A frazzled looking Rocket grunt rushed in. She scanned the room quickly and then dropped to the ground to look under the bed.

Stepping quietly, Blanche moved out of their hiding spot and slipped through the open door. Spark followed, his heart pounding so fast he could hear his pulse in his ears.

They ran out in the open hall way, turning a sharp corner and running headlong into wheezing. The startled Pokémon coughed and started spewing out a fog from the various craters that covered its body. The space was instantly consumed with the dark thick smog. Spark hacked and wheezed, his eyes burning from the toxin. Something or someone grabbed him from behind and lifted him off the ground. Spark yelled in between coughing, hoping that Blanche was nearby.

The person behind him howled in pain and his grasp on Spark disappeared. He dropped to the ground, his legs giving out for a moment. Blanche hoisted him up shouting at him to move. Grimacing, he did as he was told and pushed himself off the ground. The duo pushed passed the wheezing and its trainer, blinding reaching out for something to help them.

Spark trailed his hand on the wall and nearly squealed when his hand hit a doorknob. He turned it quickly and ushered Blanche inside. It was another, less grand stateroom, filled nearly to the brim with crates and boxes. Spark yanked on one closest to him and began barricading the door.

“Blanche! Is there another way out of here?” he asked, pushing another heavy box in front of the door.

“I-I don’t know. I don’t see anything…” They squeezed themselves between the crates, trying to see what was on the other side. “Wait… I think… yes! There’s another door over here, Spark.”

“Try and make a path to it—“ the boxes he’d been stacking up shuttered as something slammed up against the door. Spark immediately began shoving more things against it, hoping that whatever was on the other side would take it’s time. As a final measure, he lean his back against it and pushed as hard as he could.

Blanche had given up trying to weave their way through the mess and began climbing on top of it, throwing things to the ground that got in their way.

“Spark, I found our bags.”

“Wh-what?” his mind wasn’t really able to focus on anything but the impending thump of the enemies behind the door.  

“ _Our bags._ All of our Pokémon, they’re here!” Blanche couldn’t seem to hide their joy. Spark looked up at them and saw the familiar yellow of his backpack. His heart leaped as relief flooded through him for the first time in a long while. Reality quickly pulled him back as another loud thump pounded against door.

“Grab them quick!” he said in a rush. “Can we get out?”

“Yes. Now come on!”

Without another word, Spark launched himself towards Blanche. He scramble up the tumbling boxes that Blanche had pushed aside and made his way to their escape. The two of them dropped onto the other side and hurried to the door.

A loud boom rang out behind them, which could only be the door finally giving away. The two wasted no time and hurried out the other door and into yet another hall way. This one however was draped in sunlight which only meant on thing. They were close to the deck.

Blanche ran ahead, both bags bouncing on their shoulder. They headed towards a small opening that was completely bathed in sunlight. A sandshrew suddenly came skidding in to the hall from some room or some other entry they didn’t see. Blanche didn’t slow and reached in to their bag and pulled out a pokeball.

A red light flashed and out came their starmie.

“Starmie! Hydro pump!” they shouted. The strange purple Pokémon leaped forward and blasted the sandshrew with a powerful spray of water. The poor thing cried as it was sent flying back. The force of the hydro pump also sent Starmie flying back from the recoil. Blanche caught them in their arms and continued forward.

The duo turned abruptly and scrambled up the stairs to the deck.

It was just as chaotic as Spark expected. Rockets we’re running around everywhere, suddenly changing directions as the two of them made it above. Red lights flashed and suddenly there were just as many Pokémon as there were people.

To his relief, they weren’t as far away from shore as he feared. The Rockets camp was still clearly visible; he could even make out some people on the shore. It would be hard to swim back, but with Blanche’s team of water Pokémon now at their disposal all they had to do was get to the water and they’d be home free. He remembered thinking that their preference for water types was weird but now he couldn’t be anything more but grateful.

Spark and Blanche hurried to the side of the yacht, but their path was blocked by a team of Pokémon.

“Blanche, my bag!” Spark held out his arms for his backpack. Just as Blanche slipped it off their shoulder, a scyther came pelting out of the lineup, diving at the two of them with alarming speed. Its long curved claws came crashing down between the two, effectively splitting them up.

Spark dove out of the way, covering his face as bits of splintered wood rained down on him. The scyther yanked its claw out of the floor and focused in on Spark. The young boy scrambled to get up, his shoes slipping on the shiny deck. He had to get to Blanche, to his own Pokémon. With his friends but his side, he’d be able to fight back and get out of this mess.

Scyther swiped at him again, Spark miraculously ducking underneath the attack just in time. The air whooshed above his head and he was pretty sure his spiky hair might have gotten a little trim.

On the other side of the deck, Blanche was doing their best to keep the other trainers and Pokémon occupied. That being said, the Rockets weren’t giving them a chance to pull out another pokeball. Every time Blanche tried to reach into their bag, someone ordered their Pokémon to attack them directly forcing them to dodge or else be blasted out of the fight.

Even though he only had one Pokémon to deal with, this scyther was hounding Spark like crazy. Just as he was about to make a move towards Blanche one of those shiny pale claws would come swooping out of nowhere and forcing him back.

Spark stumbled back from an attack, his back hitting the railing hard. He gripped on the rail to steady himself and glanced over his shoulder. The water was moving fast, the spray landing on his cheeks. He’d made it to the edge of the boat, but he needed Blanche. Spark tried to think of something, anything that might get them out of this.

Scyther’s thin wings fluttered in a strange buzzing sound. The vicious grass Pokémon was stalking him, taking slow steps towards him and preparing to attack when the time was right. Spark edged along the rail, his hands still holding the thick metal. All the sudden his hand bumped up against something strange, something solid. Spark glance at his from the corner of his eye and saw that it was a big orange life preserver.

The buzzing sound grew louder, Scyther drawing closer and closer. Spark waited for the right moment. Behind the Pokémon, Blanche and Starmie had just managed to defeat one of the Rocket’s Pokémon. They broke out of the corner they had been pinned in and began running towards Spark. Now was a better time than any. Spark grabbed the life preserver and flung it as hard as he could towards the scyther. It hit the surprised Pokémon square in the face, getting it all tangled it the thick rope attached to it.

Spark dashed around the tangled Pokémon, not daring to look back. He and Blanche were soon running alongside one another, running as fast as they could to the stern of the boat. Starmie was covering their escape, showering the Rockets and their partners with powerful streams of water.

The duo slammed into the railing, both of them looking down at the white capped water that bubbled up from the powerful engine.

Spark looked down at the water, his stomach doing somersaults. “Now we jump?” he tried to keep his voice strong sounding even though the rushing water kind of scared him.

“Now we jump.” Blanche hoisted themselves over the railing and stood on the opposite side with their hands holding firmly on to bar. “Grab Starmie!”

Spark turned just in time for the Pokémon to jump up into his arms. He held on tight with one arm and began to climb up.

The next ten seconds felt like they happened in slow motion. First there was deafening roar. Then something landed on the yacht that made the entire craft shutter and groan. Next, Spark turned to look and gaped as a dragonite came rushing towards the two of them. All the other Rockets looked just as surprised as he felt, and Spark knew deep down that none of the Pokémon they had would be able to stand against this behemoth.  

The next few seconds were all a reaction, something Spark didn’t even think about before doing. He shoved Starmie at Blanche and swung his leg back over onto the deck. Blanche grabbed their Pokémon, one hand still holding onto the bar, but Spark quickly changed that. He lifted Blanche’s hand off the rail and pushed them off the stern of the yacht.

As they were falling into the water, Dragonites think trunk-like arm wrapped around Spark and lifted him roughly off the ground. It swiped the air where Blanche once was, but it was too late, they we’re already gone.

“Blast!” Cardinal appeared behind them, running up to the rail and looking out at the water. He turned and shouted angrily. “Turn this thing around! Go and get them!”

A chorus of voices answered him back, with one being louder than all the rest. “Sir! We can’t go back to shore.”

“What!? Why not?” he spun around, making the young man coward under his gaze.

“W-we just got a message from c-camp, sir. The police, they’ve found us.”

“WHAT!” Cardinal stalked towards the young man, yanking a pair of binoculars out of his hand. He focused on the shore, his frown deepening and anger growing. “Blast it all to hell… fine. Looks like we have to leave the ice titan for another time.”

Spark, despite being crushed by a dragonite, was simply overjoyed. Blanche was heading to shore and the police were shutting down the Rocket’s operation. There was no way for him to know, no clue or anything that backed this up, but Spark knew that somehow Candela was responsible for that. He smiled, in spite of his dire situation.

“What are you smiling at?” Cardinal hissed, his gaze finally landing on the young boy.

Spark was breathing heavily, Dragonite having no sense of just how hard he was holding him. He took as deep a breath as he could and answered. “They… they got away…”

“But you won’t be so lucky.” The man turned swiftly and began issuing orders. “Stay on course, make sure the engines are at full capacity. Take stock of what we have and contact the base on Fire Island. Let them know the situation. The boy is staying by my side so I can keep an eye on him _personally_. Dragonite, come.”

Cardinal marched off, his anger still bubbling beneath his well-mannered façade. Dragonite followed behind, each step making the yacht dip a little. Spark lean his head back and tried to get a look at the shore once more. He grimaced a bit, realizing that Blanche was still holding his bag when he pushed them.

So now he lost his team once again and this time, he didn’t even have Blanche to help him out of this situation. Even though he was now very much alone, Spark couldn’t help but feel happy that his friend was heading to safety. No matter what happened now, at least there was that. 

* * *

 

Much to Candela’s surprise, Davis’s directions weren’t phony. He didn’t stall them or lead them astray, he actually did exactly as he was asked. However when the fight broke out on the beach, Davis sprinted off in the other direction. Candela watched him disappear in the shrubs, rolling her eyes and calling him a coward in some not so polite ways.

Candela was practically vibrating as she got out of the car with Flareon. The car ride lasted until just past dawn and the entire time she was awake and waiting impatiently. With that energy driving her, Candela burst out of Jenny’s car and sprinted into the fray. The Rockets were so caught off guard that many of them were still asleep in their tents when she ran passed.

Her eyes scanned the camp, looking for something that would tell her where her friends were. She skidded to a stop, spinning around and looking frantically. One of the guards and their partners lunged at her. The attack was blocked by Sai, leaping between them and protecting Candela. She smiled at him warmly and then continued her search.

Near the shore was a house looking thing, weathered and worn. It was the only thing solid here and Candela decided to go for it. The door swung open before she got there and three people flied out. Candela planted her feet and readied for a fight, but a fight never came.

“H-hey! Where are you going!?” she started after them, confused. The Rockets pushed one another, scrambling to get away. Candela grumbled at turned to Flareon. “C’mon, we got to catch one.”

Flareon darted towards the closest Rocket, becoming a blur against the sand. She weaved in between the women’s legs trying to distract her. The women shouted at the small Pokémon, pulling her leg back to kick her. Flareon jumped out of the way and the women, now completely unbalanced fell on to her back. Flareon hopped on the women triumphantly, growling.

“G-get off me you little pest!” the woman yelled, arms failing.

Candela opened one of her pokeballs. Charmeleon landed hard on the sand and instantly went after the women. His wild snarl was more than enough to keep the women from running again.

“Where are my friends?” Candela demanded, her voice matching the fierceness of her Pokémon.

“I… I don’t know what you mean.” She didn’t even try to sound convincing, a cool smile spreading across her face. Charmeleon snarled again, leaning in closer and showing off his shiny claws. The woman squirmed a bit but didn’t say anything else.

“I know there here. Tell me where they are!”

“Candela!” Willow ran up behind her looking out of breath.

“Hold your ponytas, I’m getting her to tell us where Spark and Blanche are.” She spun back around and glared at the women.

“They’re not here.” Willow said solemnly.

“What?!” Candela’s stomach dropped, her adrenaline evaporating in an instant. “Wh-what do you mean they’re not here? But they _have_ to be!”

Willow shook his head, picking his words gently. “Jenny cornered one of the grunts and he explained everything pretty quickly. They left at dawn.”

“N-no but we… we’re here… we made it…” Suddenly her legs felt like jelly and Candela slide to the ground. So much hope had been riding on this place and now it felt like they were back at square one. Back nowhere. Willow put a hand on her shoulder, making her look up.

“Listen, everything is going to be fine. The young man we questioned said they were heading to the other islands. He wasn’t sure which, but it’s a start.” He sounded incredibly reassuring, much like her brothers were when she was little. Behind her, Sai came padding up softly. He nudged her head with his nose and hummed.

Candela took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Now wasn’t the time to give up. With a little bit of prodding Charmeleon returned to his pokeball. The Rocket women took off sometime during their conversation, but it didn’t really matter. She wasn’t going to talk no matter what she did.

Standing up and brushing the sand off her legs, Candela refocused on the facts. “So they’re taking them to the islands… that means they took a boat.” Willow nodded in agreement. Candela turned on towards the sea a squinted. A large black dot was bouncing up and down on the water.

“Is that- is that them?!” she sputtered in disbelief.

Willow turned and followed her gaze; his eyes wide. “… I’ll be damned…” he spun around quickly and shouted. “Jenny! Jenny we see their boat!”

“ _It’s Officer Jenny!_ Wait, really?” Jenny came hurrying over to them, her hat flying off as she moved. Jenny shielded her eyes against the bright morning sun. “Do you think that’s really them?”

“Who else _could_ it be?” Candela quipped.

Jenny pulled a large radio off of her belt and pressed the button on the side. “This is Officer Jenny, reporting in. We have a visual on the suspects. Back up, what’s your ETA? Over.”

The radio buzzed for few moments before a fuzzy voice finally spoke back. “ _ETA is 4 minutes. Over.”_

“Rodger that. What about the coast guard? Over.”

“ _10 minutes. Over_.”

Jenny squeezed the radio a little harder, her face looking a little annoyed. “Tell them to hurry. Suspects are escaping on water. Over.”

“ _Rodger ma’am. Over and out.”_

Candela huffed crossing her arms. “10 minutes?! What’s taking them so long?”

“We’re lucky they’re that close.” Jenny sighed, hanging back up the radio. The five of them went over to the dock and waited for the coast guard’s boat to arrive. Behind them police sirens wailed and wailed as the rest of the islands force arrived. What Rocket’s that were left behind were quickly arrested with groups of officers breaking off to find some of the ones that decided to hide deeper inland.

Despite all the action that was happening behind her, Candela watched the black dot like a fearrow never taking her eyes off the boat, not even to blink. Sai stood next to her as watchful as she was, every once and a while he would whine softly.

Her attention was torn away as a low grumble sounded. A sturdy looking ship rounded the corner of the cove. Candela hopped up and down, sputtering all sorts of excited nonsense as it came closer. The coast guard ship was barely about to hold them all, but they were able to make more room by having Sai rest inside a spare pokéball.

“Let’s go!” Candela tugged on the captain’s sleeve, pointing towards the boat that was getting further away.

“Alright, alright! Calm down little girl.”

Just as Candela’s temper began to flare, Jenny pushed aside the captain and took the wheel. She pushed the throttle as far as it would go. The boat lurched forward, making everyone stumble.

“Hang on!” Jenny cried.  

“You’re supposed to say that _before_ you go speeding off.” Willow grumbled. Jenny didn’t say anything back, only grinned confidently as she steered them expertly across the waves. Candela looked up at Jenny and was suddenly reminded of her crazy aunt. The two ladies had a lot in common including their names, but these two facts appeared to be only the tip of the ice burg.

Their pursuit of the Rocket vessel clearly didn’t go unnoticed. Candela watched the black dot consistently, but the thing never got any closer. She thought back to the woman she and Flareon cornered on the beach. Someone, maybe even that woman, warned them that they were coming. As much as she wished it, there was nothing she could do about that now.

Down on the ground, Flareon was getting antsy. Her head was up in the air and she couldn’t seem to stop moving. Candela knelt down and gently pet her partner on the back. It couldn’t have been the boat she was worried about. Flareon didn’t like the water, but she tolerated it and always did really good when she was riding on a boat. This behavior was a little unsettling.

“Flareon…?” Candela breathed. A splashing sound made the both of them turn. It didn’t sound like the boat; no that was a consistent sort of splash that had a rhythm to it. This sound was wild and loud and just downright different. Flareon and Candela tottered over to the edge of the craft and looked around.

The scenery was the same all around, just blue water with islands in the distance. As soon as Candela was about to turn away. Flareon squeaked. Something blue jumped out of the water, high enough so that when they came back down there was a big loud splash. It only took a second for Candela to recognize who it was.

“V-Vaporeon?” she gaped, watching the little blue Pokémon she had gotten to know so well launch himself out of the water once again. There was something else there too, something just behind him that was treading water. “Professor! Officer! Over there!”

Candela spun around and crashed into the two adults, speaking frantically. “Over there- they’re over there!”

“What? Where?” Willow followed her and stared out into the water. Vaporeon launched himself back up in the air and Willow’s eyes widened. “Jenny slow down, we see them.”

Jenny slowed the cruiser and turned hard, tipping the whole thing dangerously. The captain grabbed a nearby life preserver and waited till they got closer.

Vaporeon was splashing excitedly in the water the closer they got, squeaking and crying all at the same time. Candela’s heart began to race as the figure he was swimming next became clearer. The sight of Blanche’s shiny platinum hair nearly made her cry out in excitement. She looked around hurriedly for Spark, but there was nothing else. Just Blanche, Vaporeon and Starmie. Candela’s relief was quickly being torn away.

The captain tossed the orange ring in their direction, Vaporeon grabbing it and paddling closer to Blanche. With their two Pokémon helping, Blanche made it to the side of the cruiser where Willow and the captain hoisted them on board.

“Blanche!” Candela surged forward and hugged them, not caring at all that her clothes were getting soaked. Blanche coughed and sputtered, their legs wobbling a bit under the added weight.

“Candela… please, I’m fine-“

“I’m so sorry, Blanche.” Candela pulled back, keeping her hands on her friend’s shoulders. Her voice was wavering as the frustrating feeling of tears began to well up in her eyes. “I- I’m sorry I got mad and that I left you guys… I’m sorry for everything… all of this is _my_ fault…”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” They fussed. “You did nothing wrong.”

“But-“

“Shush. We have far more important things to address.”

Candela nodded pulling away and wiping the few stray tears that managed to fall. She glanced back at the water. “Where’s Spark?”

Blanche’s calm face suddenly dropped. They turned, almost hiding the worry that was now streaked across their face. “He… he’s still with them. And what’s worse…” They slide two very wet bags off their shoulders one of which was distinctly Spark’s.

Candela gawked at them, utterly confused. Just then, Willow turned to Jenny and spoke quietly. The cruiser picked up speed once again and their pursuit of Rocket boat continued.

Calmly, Willow approached Blanche and handed them a towel to dry off. “Can you tell us what happened?”

Blanche nodded accepting the towel and sitting down. They filled in all the blanks from the time Candela left them to right up until their halfway successful escape plan. It was hard to believe that all of this happened in the span of one night. Blanche spoke clearly and calmly, recalling the facts in the same practiced manner they did most things. When they got to the end however, they waivered.

“We made it on the deck, but quickly got separated by an attack. Spark was cornered by a scyther while I had at least five other Pokémon to deal with. Battling them all just would have wasted time, so I settled on just trying to get away and back to Spark. By some strange stroke of luck, we both managed to get away from out attackers and then procced to the stern of the yacht. We… we we’re about to jump over together but then…” Their shoulders dropped, their brow furrowed.

“… what?” Candela asked. She was hanging on every word, bursting with too much energy to sit.

“Something was coming for us. A charizard… or maybe a dragonite? Whatever it was, it was coming fast. Spark he… he handed Starmie over to me and then… and then he pushed me.”

“Pushed you?”

“Yes. He pushed me off the stern. Spark… Spark disregarded his own safety and made sure I escaped.”

Willow, who had been sitting next to them with a somber look on his face, breathed slowly. “… brave kid.” He said, almost at a whisper.

“More like stupid.” Candela slumped next to Blanche, her nervous energy suddenly making her tired. She didn’t really think Spark was stupid, quite the opposite actually. That simple act of choosing someone over himself was just a testament to who he was.  Always so kind and always thinking of others. While it was a very good and respectable quality to have, it sometimes left his friends feeling a little frustrated. He thought so much about others that often enough he would forget to think about himself.

“Do you know where they’re going?” She asked after a few moments had passed.

“Yes. Since I’m gone, they will be going to straight to Lighting Island.” Blanche looked so sure of themselves it was a little awe inspiring. “They are going to use Spark to lure Zapdos into a trap. Oh… there is one other thing I have yet to mention.”

“And that is?”

“It seems that Team Rocket already has a huge advantage over us. They were able to capture Moltres.”

Silence settled over them like a thick fog. Candela especially felt a strange sense of sorrow, knowing that the fire titan was somewhere locked up instead of flying high in the sky. She thought back to all those stories her mother used to tell her when she was little, the picture books passed down from her brothers. Moltres had always been her favorite of the three legendary birds. She remembered her childhood scribbles of the fire bird that used to decorated her walls.

Candela looked up and wondered. “What if one of us goes and set’s Moltres free?”

 Blanche stared blankly at her, an expression she had seen many a time. It translated roughly into ‘I need more information’.

“Look, they’re expecting us right? Even if they don’t know that we picked you up, they can clearly see that were following them.”

“Correct…?” the look on Blanche’s face was turning into a frown.

“One of us can go and bust Moltres out, get them all worked up and distracted and then others go and get Spark. It’ll be a lot easier and if we go after the only titan they have locked up, they’d send pretty much everyone they have to defend it.”

“That sounds… dangerous. And stupid. And like it would work.” They conceded, looking up at her with a small smile.

Willow shook his head and looked at the two of them. “And what happens if the one’s causing the distraction gets caught?” he raised his brow and waited for an answer, but neither of them had one. “Look, I understand that you two want to help Moltres but right now we need to focus on getting Spark out of there. We can’t worry about any other plan Team Rocket might have.”

“But-!”

“No. A distraction would help, but we don’t have the time or the means to do it. There are only five of us after all. Once Spark is safe, we’ll figure out what to do about Moltres.” And with that final word, the subject was closed.

Willow stood and went back to Jenny, the two of them talking quietly. Blanche fished a pokeball out of their back pack and called Starmie back. They tugged at the towel and little tighter and sighed.

“Spark would want us to find a way to free Moltres.” They murmured quietly so that the adults couldn’t hear.

“I know.” Candela agreed. “He’s probably more worried about Zapdos than himself.”

“Yes, he is.”

On a whim, Candela glanced at Blanche’s hands. Their sleeves were pushed back so that she could see the slivery mark well on their skin. She nearly flinched when she saw the red rawness of rope burns marring the mark. She began rubbing her hand absentmindedly, wondering what it felt like to be branded by one of the birds again.

Of course Willow was right. They’re first priority was getting Spark back. But there was this feeling gnawing on the back of her mind. Some sort of sense that going after the fire bird was the right thing to do. That somehow it would help set Spark free as well. It wasn’t a sensation she could really put into words.

As the cruiser glided over the waves, Candela arched back and looked ahead to the three islands that they were closing in on. One of them, a ring of dark smoke circling over a mountain peak almost seemed to call to her. Telling her where she should go.


	13. Chapter 13

Spark sat on the floor of the cabin, his hands bound once again but this time in front of him instead behind. Sitting next to him, barely able to fit was Cardinal’s dragonite. One big arm was resting on his shoulder and every time he so much as sighed, the giant Pokémon tensed. The only thing he could do was watch and wait.

Cardinal and the captain kept talking in hurried voices. About this about that, about an apparent police boat that was tailing them. Spark felt relief flood his system at the mention of the pursuing vessel. There was a high chance that Blanche would get picked up by them and then they’d be perfectly, 100% safe. And then Spark could start worrying about himself.

There was no way he was slipping these ropes again. Not with his personal body guard looming over him. No, his only chance was when they got to the island and even then he had no idea what to do. Maybe he could make a break for it. Hide out somewhere until the police arrived in the ship. That’s going under the assumption that there weren’t too many Rocket’s lurking around the island to block the rescue. Hopefully, most of their team was back on the beach being promptly arrested.

The sun was resting high in the sky now, the ride to Lightning Island already taking up half a day. As the yacht began to slow, Spark sat up and tried to look at the shore through the wide window. He could see the tip of the island; a large peak rising high into the sky. The strangest sense of familiarity washed over to him and Spark had to remind himself that this was the first time he’d ever seen this place. His hand itched and all the sudden he wanted nothing more than to scale that peak and find Zapdos himself, for one reason only. To warn him.

Cardinal whispered something to the captain and then swiftly turned to Spark. “Whatever friends you have left are very persistent. Our time has been cut short significantly.” He called Dragonite back to his pokéball and hoisted Spark up by the arm.

Spark couldn’t help but smile at that, his courage growing. “When they get here, they’re going to free me _and_ Moltres too. Then you’ll go to jail.”

“Hopeful words from a naïve little boy.”

“I may be young and a little clueless, but I know my friends, and they aren’t going to give up that easily.”

A flare of anger contorted the older man’s face and for a moment, it looked like he was going to hit him again. Spark snapped his eyes shut and braced himself for it, but it never came. Cardinal took a breath and calmed himself.

“Your optimism is truly maddening.”

With that, Cardinal pushed him out of the cabin. They were flanked by Rockets as soon as they stepped foot on shore, both Pokémon and people alike following them with sharp eyes. Spark’s courage faltered. How in the world was he supposed to make a break for it when everyone was watching him?

A funny looking man and a poliwhirl came tottering towards them with a strange little device in his hands. He glanced up at Cardinal with nervous eyes.

“Rowe. Is the machine working?”

“Y-yes sir!” the man answered. “We’ve managed to use the thunder stone to track Zapdos movements. We’ve got the trucks loaded up with the cage and are ready to leave on your order.”

Spark quirked his head to side. Did he just say…?

“What’s that boy? Surprised?” Cardinal had a smug grin on his face that sent a shiver down his spin. “Forgot, didn’t you? About the stone?”

The memories were replaying in his head. Of course he hadn’t forgotten, how could he? That stone was one of only two pieces of proof he had that he’d actually met a legendary titan. Way back, when Team Rocket had first stumbled onto the scene, Spark thought the stone was gone. Used up by these greedy people and then tossed to the side. But apparently the thunder stone Zapdos gave him was able to do a lot more the just help a Pokémon evolve.

Cardinal took the device from Rowe and stare at the screen with a greedy glint in his eye. “That stone my men plucked from your possession was more useful than I ever could have imagined. Multiple evolutions, the ability to increase an electrical Pokémon’s capabilities, the possibilities seemed endless. The unique capability of the stone led me to realize it had its own energy signature, one that allowed us to pinpoint the location of Zapdos anywhere on this island.”

There were no words that could express his shock. Sparks eyes flickered to the strange device which was barely bigger than a book and clenched his fist. He was hoping that he could buy the others more time with haplessly wondering around this place for a few hours, but now that they knew exactly where Zapdos was that wasn’t an option. And here he was just starting to get his confidence back.

“Of course, knowing is one thing. After we managed to take possession of the fire titan, the other two became even more guarded. Zapdos took to cliffs where a constant thunder storm is raging, and Articuno… well they’ve created a blizzard so cold it’d would freeze a fire blast. Like I said, knowing where they are is one thing, but actually getting to them was a problem. One we are about to solve.”

With all the cards now laid on the table, Cardinal looked just as he did the first time they met. Cool and smug with an air of victory already floating around his head. As much as Spark didn’t want to admit it, as much as he wanted to spit in his eye and knock this guy off his high horse, he might not be able to fix this. He might not be able save Zapdos from this fate.

After breaking out and making sure Blanche was on their way to safety, Spark had undoubtedly began to believe he would make it out of here with his friends. Now that old fear that had very well stolen his breath was coming back, and there was no one around who could talk him down. Cardinal’s gloating continued, but it fell on deaf ears. Spark was too busy trying to keep calm and figure a way out of this.

“Let’s move.” 

* * *

 

The sun was hot, sweat making their shirt to them uncomfortably. Blanche pulled the hair tie out of their hair and tried pulling it up high so that it wouldn’t stick to the back of their neck. Candela on the other hand looked perfectly comfortable baking in the sun. She didn’t fidget or fan herself, just stared ahead at the island where their friend was waiting.

The police cruiser was stopped in the water at least 15 minutes away from the island. There were a cluster of figures on the beach and one very large ship that looked nearly as big as the cruise ship they rode on. There were far too many people for the five of them to handle on their own. Blanche knew this, Professor Willow knew this and so did Officer Jenny; who despite her reckless driving and hyper tendencies was pretty level headed when it came down to it.

But Candela? Candela nearly exploded at the lot of them for taking this moment to figure out what to do. Blanche wanted to say something to calm her down, but not matter what sound reason they came up with it was only met with hostility. Even though they considered Candela one of their best friends, Blanche still wasn’t the one who could get through to her and calm her down. That was always Spark’s job.

Blanche watched her with a careful eye, trying to gage what to do. Both with their friend sitting next to them and with the one still in the enemies clutches.

Officer Jenny finally hung up the radio, massaging her temples. “More officers are on their way, but this is the fastest boat we have. It’s going to be a while before they can come and back us up.”

Candela grumbled, but Blanche spoke up before she could retaliate. “How long?”

“At least four hours.”

“Four hours?!” Candela gasped. “Might as well give them a whole day!”

“There’s nothing else we can do right now.” Jenny said firmly. “If we go in there now we’d be outnumbered.”

“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t _try_.”

Blanche reached up and put a hand on their friends shoulder. The action helped, although only a little. Candela glanced at them though her bangs, her eyes almost pleading.

Every part of their mind said that waiting was the best option. It didn’t take a genius to see just how horrible the odds were, but no matter what their sensible mind said, all Blanche could do was replay the moment Spark pushed them off the edge of the yacht. The action made no sense, why he would basically sacrifice his own wellbeing for theirs. The logical thing to do would have been to get capture together. Than at least they’d have two minds working on a solution instead of one. But now Spark was completely and utterly alone and it was just unfair. Blanche knew exactly why he did it, but it still had the capability to confuse them.

Maybe it was the look in Candela’s eye or the fact that they were reliving the scene of Spark’s heroic deed, but suddenly Blanche had an idea.

“I think we should split up.” They said firmly.

Willow sighed, running his hands down his face. “We can’t do that.”

“But we have to.” Blanche squeezed Candela’s shoulder and stood. “I realize that you don’t want Candela or I going off on our own. I assume she’d told you of all of our adventures and I can see that you think we were being reckless. And, maybe we were.”

“We weren’t _that_ bad…” Candela whined. A quick look from Blanche quickly shut her up.

“Professor Willow, we cannot- _I_ cannot just stand here and wait while Spark is in danger. I have to do something.”

“And do you really think splitting up is a good idea? Didn’t we just have this conversation?” he asked.

“Yes. But seeing how thing have changed, we need to have it again. Candela and I can go to Fire Island and create a distraction. Assuming that that is where Moltres is being held, they will flock to the island effectively splitting up their forces. That will leave you all to rescue Spark.”

“And back to my previous argument, what if you two end up getting caught instead.”

Candela hopped up, hands on her hips. “Aw c’mon, you really think we’d let that happen? Blanchy here said all we have to do is create a distraction. We do that, make sure they follow us and then get the hell out of there.”

Willow looked at her skeptically. “And how do I know you two will stick to that? Are you really going to leave before trouble comes or are you going to stick around until you figure out a way to free Moltres?”

“You’re just going to have to trust us.” Blanche answered for the both of them. Willow looked back and forth between the two, more arguments and doubts lingering on his tongue. But four hours was a long time to wait and there really was no time to think of something else.

Jenny and the captain agreed to the plan, although the officer was still a little confused as to why the kids had to go off on their own instead of pairing up with one of them. Blanche insisted that it made sense, being that they were smaller they could slip on and off the island with more ease than one of them. Really, they had another motive.

The one life boat was roomy by all accounts; only having to hold two kids and two small Pokémon. Blanche carefully pushed off from the police cruiser and put a steady hand on the engine.

“Okay, were going to circle the island, try to find a place to lay low for a while.” Jenny popped open a supply box and pulled out another radio. “These have a pretty long range, so we should be able to contact each other. We’ll let you know the moment we find your friend.”

Blanche nodded taking the radio and storing it in Spark’s backpack. Willow was standing behind Jenny, looking strange mixture of worried and annoyed. After the brief introduction between the two, Blanche was a little dumbstruck to realize that the Professor they had been searching for had ended up helping them. It was a very strange coincidence that they would probably always be awed by. He took a step forward and began undoing the rope attached to the boat.

“I still don’t like this, but you two are nothing but determined.” The last knot fell loose. “Just… don’t do anything too reckless, alright?”

The amount of pure concern on the older man’s face was nearly overwhelming. Blanche wasn’t used to this sort of concern, let alone from an adult. All the grown-ups in their life weren’t exactly the compassionate type, and not having a memory of their own mother and father, Blanche truly didn’t expect any one besides their friends to worry this much about them. It was a very strange thing for this random Professor to show an interest in them.  

Blanche and Candela both nodded. Willow held on to the rope for a moment longer, looking at the two of them before letting go. They spend off, the wind instantly cooling them off. The police cruiser got smaller and smaller, the little life boat moving swiftly across the waves. The craggily peaks of Fire Island drew closer and Blanche squinted in the sunlight to try and see the shore.

“We’re going to get Moltres out, right?” Candela spoke loudly over the splash of the sea.

“Of course.” They shouted back. A wide grin spread across her face. Candela whooped, picking up Flareon and hugging her close. So Willow did have a reason to be concerned. He probably knew that they weren’t just going to create a distraction, but like he said, they were determined.

Blanche really had no idea if the fire titan was actually being held on the island or not. They remember hearing something about a base here when they were eavesdropping earlier. But it was the only lead they had to go on. The ride wasn’t as long as they we’re expecting, the lighter boat traveling fast. Blanche steered the boat into the shallows and had Candela hop out to pull it onto the sand.  

The island was eerily quiet. There was no wind whistling through the cliffs, no rustling of leaves, even the wave’s seemed mute. Blanche stepped out onto the sand warily, Vaporeon shuttering next to them.

“This place…” Candela began, her voice wavering. “It feels… _empty_.”

“Yes. This sensation is very strange.”

“C’mon, let’s go find those losers.” Candela and Flareon confidently pressed on, ignoring the strange air that weighted on the island. Blanche followed a little more cautiously, looking around every other step for signs of danger.

Fire Island was a pretty desolate place, with dark chunky sand a big boulders shouting seemingly out of nowhere. Any plant life they saw was dry and fragile looking, like one good kick would snap it in half. It was hard to tell if this was the way things were supposed to be or if something had gone horribly wrong.

They four of them walked on and on, following the flow of the island. Flareon had gone ahead, leaping up and over the rocks to get a better view. Vaporeon was being a little more reserved and stayed by his trainers’ side. Blanche could only determine that it had to do with the fact that he was cooped up in a pokéball for so long. The little guy really hated those things and always acted this way after being in one. Blanche watched him worriedly.

Flareon leaped down from a rock and landed gracefully on the sand. Candela froze and put her hand up to signal a stop. Blanche complied, waiting.

“It’s them.” She whispered. 

Blanche scooted forward and peered around her shoulder. Another Rocket camp was set up in front of a wide cave. There was a glow emanating from the cave and a few big thick wires traveling to half a dozen generators outside.

“Do you think that’s where Moltres is?” Candela asked, hopeful.

“It appears to be our best chance.” Blanche scanned the area. There were at least 20 grunts here, all of them rushing this way and that. From the look of things they were getting ready to leave. “We’ve arrived just in time. Look, they’re loading up those trucks.”

Candela nodded. She spun around and pushed Blanche back behind the cliff. “I’m going to go get Moltres.”

“What? W-why?” Blanche sputtered, Candela’s brashness always a little startling.

“Because.” She said simply.

Blanche groaned. “Really? I’m going to need more of a reason than that.”

“Look, just let me do this.”

“But why? We would be more successful if we stick together—“

“Blanche. Please? I just… I want to do this. I feel like… like I have to.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I,” Candela chuckled. “Just trust me, alright?”

For few moments, Blanche wanted to retaliate. They wanted to make Candela stay and solve this together. But there was hardly a time when their friend was this passionate about something and also calm. Candela always had an amazing sense of confidence, but that was usually coupled with a boisterous attitude. This was different.

“Alright,” They finally agreed. “I will engage the Rockets, and while I’m doing that you will find a way to free Moltres. And please, don’t get hurt.”

“Aw, you do care Blanche.” She teased.

“Unfortunately.”

With that, Blanche and Vaporeon circled around to the front of the camp. With the cave entrance in the background, this was the perfect place to attack. They waited, waited until the right moment. While this was a rescue mission, it also was a distraction for Willow and the others. They had to take a page from Candela’s book and not be subtle. They had to be loud. Blanche gripped two pokéballs and glanced down at Vaporeon. With one more deep breath, they stepped out into the open.

* * *

 As soon as the fight stared, Candela dashed out from her hiding spot. By the sound of things, Blanche had gotten everyone’s attention. There was shouting, screeches and even the boom of a small explosion. As much as she wanted to see what was happening, Candela had other priorities.

Two Rockets hurried out of the cave towards the noise. Candela slid to a stop, nearly running headlong into the grunts. She ducked behind the jagged cave entrance and waited until they passed. Once they did, she rushed inside.

The cave was monstrous. Thick stalactites stuck to the roof and arched down like teeth ready to close at any second. Candela and Flareon moved quickly, following the orange glowing light in the caves depths. The air was warm and heavy, waves of heat brushing past them every so often. The thick electrical cords twisted this way and that, leading her as much as the light was.

As Candela turned the final corner, the heat became incredibly intense. Her eyes became dry as tears began to well up in the corners to fix the problem. Sticking a giant bird that’s literally made of fire in an enclosed space was not the best idea. Moltres was perched on top of a metal bar. Circling him were three large brass looking rings that almost reminded her of a bird cage. They spun and rotated, in constant motion with a blue sort of electricity bouncing off of them.

For a moment, Candela froze. Her mouth hung open as she took in the sight of the legendary bird. It was impossible to tell where the feathers ended and where the flames began. The fire glimmered on the edges of Moltres’s wings, and impressive sight even though they were folded. His long beak looked sharp and his claws where about as long as Candela’s forearm. She walked up to the spinning cage and reached out.

“OW!” the cage zapped her. Actually zapped her. She yelped and pulled her hand back, shaking the numbness that suddenly settled in her arm. “What the hell…?”

Whatever energy was keeping these rings suspended did not like people coming close. A little hesitantly, Candela reached out again and actually saw the blue light shift as she got closer to it. She frowned.

“How am I supposed to break _this_?” she looked up and noticed that Moltres had opened his eyes. He was staring down at her, his glare making Flareon duck behind her trainer. Candela looked right back at him and huffed. “Well, do you have any bright ideas?”

The giant bird cocked his head to the side, snapping his beak.

“Look, I’m trying to help you here. Did you see a button or anything when they locked you up?”

Moltres squawked and buried his head underneath his wing.

“Aw c’mon! You had to have seen something.” Just then, Candela noticed something on the ground. It was round and small, almost too small to be noticeable. It was glowing with the same blue energy that buzzed around the cage. Candela circled around and found one of the cord attached the metal plate and followed it.

By the look of thing, this cord led to a separate generator, one used just for powering the cage. A big lever had the words ‘on’ and ‘off’ taped to it, but the handle wouldn’t budge. “Huh? What’s the deal with this thing?”

Candela put both hands on the lever and pulled with all her might, but it would take a macoke to move this thing, maybe even two. Moltres was watching her again, his wings fluttering by his side. After getting frustrated, Candela kicked the thing.

“Ugh fine! Flareon, were gonna have to wreak it.” She jumped back behind some rocks, dragging Flareon by the tail. “Alright, aim right for that fan thingy.”

Flareon poked her head around the corner.

“Ember!” a large burst of flames erupted from the tiny Pokémon. The two of them ducked behind the rocks as the attack made contact with the generator. It exploded brilliantly, the sound echoing all throughout the cave.  The metal plate beneath the cage sputtered and died and the metal rings abruptly stopped moving and fell down around the legendary bird.

Moltres let out an incredible screech, so loud that Candela had to cover her ears. She grinned up at the bird as he stretched his wings out for the first time in who knows how long. The heat from his wings felt incredible, however the moment was short lived. Shouts came from the entrance of the cave along with the pounding of feet. Candela jumped up and immediately began to panic. Wh _at happened to Blanche?_ They were supposed to keep the people outside distracted, but apparently something had happened to prevent them from doing their job.

“Wait here, I’ll clear the way!” Candela shouted at Moltres as she took off, sprinting. She skidded around the corner, grabbing two of the pokéballs on her belt. She flung it into the air and out came an ornery taurus and Nina.

A group of Rockets and their Pokémon came rushing towards them. “Taurus! Go for the nidoking, hit ‘em with a stomp. Nina, watch out for the razor leaf!”

Candela was shouting commands mere seconds before the other side moved. Compared to her battle in the alley, this was far worst. These trainers were different than the ones on the island. They were faster, smarter and all around just better than the rookies she faced back then.  It only made sense that Team Rocket would send some of their best to guard this place. Maybe splitting up from Blanche wasn’t the best idea. Candela was mentally beating herself. She had just gotten her friend back and now it looks like history was about to repeat itself. She grit her teeth and pushed those thoughts aside.

“Taurus, use earthquake!” The ground trembled as Taurus slammed his hooves into the rocky surface. Everyone, even the trainers, were forced to stop and balance themselves. “Nina, flamethrower now!”

The spiraling flames shot towards the enemy line, fire engulfing them all. Candela nearly cheered when the fire suddenly changed directions. Nina’s flamethrower bounced from the Rockets and back towards Candela herself. Flareon yelped and jumped on her trainer, getting her out of the way before the flames could hit. Candela gaped at the attack, which hit the wall far behind leaving an incredible scorch mark. “Th-thanks…” she breathed and pat Flareon on the back.

Candela squinted and saw what had redirected the flames. Floating eerily about a foot off the ground was an alakazam. Psychic Pokémon were definitely not her favorite. Their mysterious powers almost seemed borderline magical and you were never quite sure what they were capable of. Candela scrambled back up to her feet, her ever constant confidence wavering for the first time in a long time.

“… it’s okay… we can _do_ this.”

Could they really? Even if she called out Charmeleon and Spearow, what difference would that make? They were out matched. A nidoking and venasaur, alakazam and a cloister. And there was more just behind them. She could smell the gloom’s heavy odor and practically hear an arbok hissing. If Blanche wasn’t able to hold them off, what could she do?

Candela clenched her fist. “No. I can do this. We can do this.” She glanced at her partners, all of them waiting for her order.

Just as Candela was about to speak, the air suddenly grew warmer. A bead of sweat trickled down her cheek and a whooshing sound was filling up the space behind her, followed by a loud screech. Candela whipped out her pokéballs and called back Nina and Taurus. She scooped up Flareon and threw herself against the wall.

In incredible whirlwind of fire flew past them. The Rockets and their Pokémon scrambled over one another to get out of the way. The force of the fire practically shoved them out towards the entrance of the cave, all the while singeing their skin. Once the attack ended, Candela raced out to see the aftermath. All of the enemies Pokémon were out, exhausted and defeated. One trainer was running around frantically as their hair was slowly going up in smoke. Candela giggled at the comedic sight.

“Wait… where’s Blanche?” her laughter suddenly died as she looked around for her friend. And that’s when she saw the giant blocks of ice. They rose nearly as high as the cliffs, poking out of the landscape here and there. One of them even encased a few of the trucks the Rockets were loading. “What the—“

“Candela!” Blanche and Vaporeon came hurrying around the corner, a little roughed up but okay.

“Blanche! What- what happened out here?” she asked as soon as they were close enough.

Blanche leaned over to catch their breath, an uncharacteristically bright smile on their face. “Things were a little more… difficult then we first anticipated. There we more of them just passed that ridge.” They pointed to one to the ice blocks that was glimmering in the sun. “At first I considered going after you, but then help came.”

Blanche looked up, rubbing the faintly glowing mark on their palm. Candela followed their gaze and gasped. Flying high in the sky, her tail shimmering beautifully in the breeze, was the ice titan Articuno. Little flecks of ice were trailing off her wings, making it look like the sky was full of glitter.

“B-but… how? How did you get her to come?”

“To be perfectly frank, I asked.” Blanche smiled again.

“You asked? That doesn’t make any sense. You said that strong emotions brought the birdies.”

“Yes… I thought that was the only way. I guess I was wrong. It was a pretty desperate situation.”

Candela nodded. “Yeah, me too. Things weren’t looking too good for second there.”

“Yes, but that flame was brilliant. I didn’t know any of your Pokémon we’re that powerful.”

“Well I might have had a little help too.” As if on cue, Moltres stepped out of the cave. Blanche gaped at the bird, squinting as the air suddenly rose in temperature. The ice closest to them three of them slowly began to melt away. “Think this will cause a big enough distraction?” she joked.

“I think it will do.” Blanche reached for the radio and pulled out the antenna. They turned around and began walking around for a better signal. Candela felt something tug on her hair. She reached up and felt the smooth surface of Moltres’s beak. She turned, the warmth feeling incredibly comforting for some reason.

“Thanks for the save, back there.” She pat his beak again, glancing at those dark eyes. Moltres stood to his full height, shaking out his feather. They ruffled up near his neck and made him look strangely fluffy. She giggled at the sight. Blanche’s raised voice made her turn back around.

“— please… just tell me the truth. Can you get to the shore or not?”

“Blanche…?” Candela took a few tentative steps forward. Blanche held a finger up to their lips but switched the radio to their other side. Candela leaned in.

Jenny’s voice was nearly covered in static, but she pronounced the words precisely so that they could hear. “ _We can’t get to the shore. A huge thunder storm is hovering over the island. The waves have really picked up and it’s hard to even keep the boat straight.”_

“What about the Rockets?” Candela asked, grabbing the button.

“ _Most of them took off towards you too, and then Articuno showed up and even more tried to leave_.”

“Tried?”

“ _The waves are too strong, none of them got very far. A few of the boats capsized_.”

The two of them stared at the radio, and the back at each other. Candela’s lip trembled. “A thunder storm? Spark… he’s okay over there, right?”

Blanche didn’t answer her. They held the radio up and spoke firmly. “Candela and I will head over to the island. We can get there with the help of our friends.”

“ _…friends?_ ”

Willow’s voice came through radio next. “ _Be careful. You two have no idea what’s going on over there. A storm like this isn’t natural. I should have never let you two talk me into going alone...”_

“We will be fine, Professor. We will be in touch.” Blanche pressed down the antenna and stuffed the radio back in their bag.

“O-kay. How in the hell are we supposed to get to the island with a crazy thunder storm going on?” Candela crossed her arms and waited for an answer.

“It will be just as I said. Our friends will help us.” Blanche looked back up at Articuno who was beginning to fly lower.

“That’ll work for you, but I’ll still be stuck here.”

Blanche shook their head and practically marched over to Candela. They gently grabbed onto her hand and held it, palm up. If ever there was a moment where Candela would have fainted, this would have been it. On her hand, beginning in the palm and twisting around her wrist, was a feather that looked like it was made of pale flames. She looked back at Moltres, her eyes glimmering.  

Blanche held on a moment longer before letting go. “I think you will manage. Now come, we need to get to Spark.”

Candela closed her hand into a fist, something brewing in her gut that made her feel unstoppable. “Right. Let’s go.”


	14. Chapter 14

“Stop dawdling.” Cardinal whacked Spark on the back of the head for what felt like the hundredth time. Spark winced, but still didn’t speed up. He wanted to delay this for as long as possible. He was in the front of this weird procession, with Cardinal next to him with the strange tracking device. Behind the group of Rockets on foot were three trucks carrying the pieces of the cage meant for Zapdos. Spark had no idea how a bunch of metal tube things were supposed to hold a beast made of pure lightning, but he wasn’t going to doubt their technology. Not when they created a way to track him with a thunder stone.

The path was rocky and steep, Spark’s legs burned the higher and higher they went up. From the look of things, this wasn’t the first time people made their way up here. There were already tire tracks in the dirt and places where the trees have obviously been cut back. They must have scouted out this place long before he and his friends could even afford the tickets to get here. For a brief moment, he wondered if Fire Island had been cleared out the same way.

With every step, they got closer to the tall peaks. It was hard to classify them as mountains. Mountains had big bases and could be climbed with a certain amount of ease. These things were nothing like that. They were like spires or columns, big thin stone peaks that rose high into the sky. It was impossible to scale these things. They only was up was to fly.

Zapdos was up there, hiding out in the tall peaks, roosting in a cave. Spark wondered if he ever came down anymore, or if he stayed hidden out of fear of the humans who locked up Moltres. The thought made him worry.

“Hurry up.” Another hard whack.

Spark grumbled. They were nearly there. From the look of things, the path split into three different ways. One continued forward where the trees began to thin and the other two branched off on either side. The one in front didn’t look suited for cars.

Cardinal suddenly stopped him, yanking him back by his shirt collar. He turned to his men and began issuing orders. “First and second teams, to the left and right respectively. Third team, stay here. I will go forward with the boy, but I will stay back so the titan does not get suspicious.” Cardinal abruptly spun Spark around and cut off his restraints with a small poke knife. “I want sentries in the trees in case he tries to escape again. Do not activate the machine until Zapdos is within 100 feet. Go.”

Everyone moved quickly, the two of the trucks zooming down the other two paths. Spark rubbed his sore wrists and watched them all scatter like frightened pidges. His sudden freedom from the ropes wasn’t as comforting as he thought it might be, what with the glowing eyes of a golbat leering at him from a nearby tree. He watched several more trainers and Pokémon clamor up in to the trees and disappear. Invisible eyes watching him from every angle.

“Shall we?” Cardinal smirked, waiting for Spark to move first. “Your bird it just at the top of that spire. Hopefully he’ll know that you’ve come to visit, otherwise we might have to resort to more drastic measures.”

Spark’s stomach did a flip. He did not want to know what ‘drastic measures’ meant. He bit his lip, his hand clutching his marked wrist. If ever there was a moment where he wished he didn’t have it, this would be it.

Cardinal pushed him forward, causing him to stumble for a moment. Spark walked forward, his eyes traveling up the spire. There were grey storm clouds hovering above them, clouds that had now spread across the entirety of the island. There was probably an important reason for that, but Spark didn’t have the time to dwell on it.

The trees all but disappeared, a large rocky cliff jutting out towards Zapdos roost. Spark felt a strange little jolt in the air. A familiar feeling he got one night all those years ago. The air buzzed with energy and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Spark turned and Cardinal had already taken a few steps back. He glared at the young boy, threating him expertly without words. A chill shot down his spin. Spark took a shaky breath and kept walking. 

This was it. This moment, this nightmare, was about to come to an end. His legs moved without him thinking, one foot in front of the other, unable to stop. It really was hopeless. A loud caw made him freeze. Spark spun around and glimpsed Cardinal ducking behind a tree swiftly. He was looking up right before he moved. Another loud caw. Slowly, Spark turned.

He had forgotten what Zapdos looked like. The general picture was always there in the back of his mind, but he had forgotten so much it was like he was meeting the bird all over again. Like his shiny feathers that seemed to glow. His long pointed beak that was almost dangerous looking. How dark the black feathers were that rested on the tops of his wings. Spark’s mind was spinning.

As Zapdos flew lower and lower to meet him, Spark felt a comforting sensation begin to settle all around him. Slowly, the tension he had been building up in his tired body began to unwind.

Spark suddenly clutched his wrist, dragging himself out of Zapdos’ comforting presence. He couldn’t let this happened. He couldn’t let Zapdos get closer. All around him, Rockets were watching. In the corner of his eye, he could see the trees shutter unnaturally. If he were to shout, someone would probably use those drastic measures Cardinal was hinting at.

Spark held on to his marked wrist tighter, the rope burns stinging under all that pressure.

 _Don’t come any closer._ He thought _. Fly away. Far away. It’s a trap. It’s a trap. It’s a trap._

He repeated the phrase over and over again in his head, hoping that by some strange miracle Zapdos would hear him. He snapped his eyes shut.

_Fly away. It’s a trap. Don’t worry about me. It’s a trap._

The air began to whoosh around him, the steady beat from Zapdos wings kicking up little bits of dust and dirt.

_Go away. Please go away. It’s a trap._

Another happy little caw that sounded incredibly close. Spark closed his eyes tighter, his heart feeling so very heavy.

_I can’t lose you too._

He cracked open his eyes. Zapdos was hovering in front of him. Hovering and staring at him with those same fierce looking eyes he remembered seeing when he was only seven years old. His large claws were still a ways away from the ground, away from the trap. Spark looked up at him in wonder. Did all of that really work?

Zapdos clipped his beak together, a series of sounds that almost sounded like he was trying to talk. His eyes darting to the tree tops and then to the spot just behind Spark. It took a moment, but Spark realized that he what he was doing. He was asking Spark where they were, where the enemies were. Spark nodded as subtly as he could, thinking about the trucks and the cage at the same time. For a few seconds longer, Zapdos looked down at Spark. The young boy smiled.

 _Don’t worry about me._ He thought. _Go._

The titan squawked and then pushed his powerful wings hard. Zapdos shot up into the sky, and Cardinal burst from the trees.

“NO!” with a pokéball in hand, he charged forward with another half dozen Rockets dropping from the trees. “ATTACK!”

All sorts of elemental attacks shot out from various different Pokémon, none of which were able to hit their target. Zapdos spun in the air, hugging his wings close as he avoided the attacks.

While they were all focusing on him, Spark dashed towards Cardinal. The man was angrier then Spark thought possible. He was barking orders like crazy, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his unopened pokéball. Spark knew what he had to do before he escaped. Spark slammed in to Cardinals side, taking him by surprise. The two of them fell back with a resounding ‘oof’. The pokéball and the tracking device flew from his hands, both landing a ways away from them.

“You brat!” Cardinal shoved Spark to the side, pushing himself up. Spark groaned, his back hitting the ground hard, but he rolled over all the same and made a beeline for the device. He dove after it, his hands wrapping around it just as Cardinal realized what he was after. “Don’t you _dare_!” 

Spark jumped up just in time to see the red flash of a pokéball. The giant onix from before curled around its trainer, looking almost too big to fit on this cliff. The tip of his tail hung off the side and it looked like it was one false move away from slipping off the edge.

“Give that back.” Cardinal snarled, his eyes narrowing.

“No.” Spark was surprised at his own tone. His voice didn’t waiver or anything.

“Now, boy. Or you’ll be sorry.”

Onix growled, the sound making the whole cliff vibrate. Without bothering to argue, Spark threw the device on the ground as hard as he could. It shattered as soon as it hit the rocky surface, bits of metal flying. The only thing that remained perfectly intact was the thunder stone that had been powering the device. Spark scooped it up and held on to it tight.

“NO! You little- Onix! Get rid of him! I am _done_ babysitting brats!”

Spark gulped as Onix suddenly lurched forward. He looked around frantically for a place to go, but there wasn’t any. There wasn’t anywhere to go but down.

A streak of lighting shot across the cliff. Spark covered his eyes at blinding light. He heard a low groan followed by the ground shaking. Once he peaked out he saw Onix rolling around on the ground. A dark scorch mark ran across his rocky body.

“Get up!” Cardinal yelled. Onix grumbled, every move shaking the cliff. The attack hurt him, there was no doubting that, but Spark was still outmatched. He was just a little kid standing on the wrong side of a cliff. Zapdos was too busy dodging the attacks from the dozens of other Pokémon to rescue him every time. He needed a way out. He needed to escape. He needed to… he needed to….

He needed to jump.

The idea suddenly planted itself in his head and became to only thing he could focus on. Spark glanced over his shoulder to the edge of the cliff, the tree tops below looking like they were miles away. His fear was quickly chased away by some unknown force. Spark pocketed the newly recovered thunder stone and turned. He ran to the edge and didn’t stop.

Spark jumped, his mind went blank as the air rush around him. The cold sting of the wind torn through his hair, through his clothes and the sound was deafening. Spark stretched out his arms and tried to angel his fall into something softer looking. Before he even brushed the treetops, a yellow streak swooped down and caught him. Spark wrapped his arms around Zapdos and held on tight as the giant bird suddenly changed directions.

They shot up passed the cliff, passed the Rockets and passed Cardinal. Spark couldn’t help but laugh. “Whoo! Nice save… uh oh!”

The trees below them began to shake and glow. Branches cracked as the golden pieces of the cage shot up into the air. They sparked with an eerie blue light and flew straight towards them.

“L-look out!” Spark lay flat on Zapdos back as the titan began to pump his wings harder.

Zapdos spun out of the way as two to the pieces shot forward. He zoomed this way and that, dodging the pieces expertly. Just then, Zapdos flung his wings out wide halting them in the air as two of the pieces crashed together in front of them. At first Spark though this was a good thing, two less things to worry about, but then he realized that the pieces weren’t damaged at all. The somehow combined, the blue energy pulling them together and linking them. This cage was going to grow around them.

“Get away from the base!” Spark shouted. The trucks had to have something in them that was powering this. Zapdos cawed loudly in response, taking off towards the shore. They didn’t get too far.

Something slammed into Zapdos side, knocking Spark off completely. He yelped, reaching for his friend as he began to fall. His fall lasted only seconds as Zapdos scooped him up in his rough claws. Whatever attacked them before decided to go for it again, this time with a pale blue fire swarming them. Zapdos wrapped his wings around Spark as the fire hit, sending them both spiraling towards the ground.

Spark didn’t remember the fall, or hitting the ground. The next thing he remembered was something tugging on his hair and the feeling of something standing over him. Spark rolled on to his side, his head ringing. Even with all those feathers protecting him, cushioning his fall, they landed hard enough to knock the pour boy out. Above him, Zapdos nipped at his hair again.

“Hey….” He grumbled, waving the big beak aside. “I’m fine… stop pulling my hair.”

Zapdos clicked his beak and chirped, yanking on his shirt instead. Spark chuckled. With the help of his friend, Spark stood and took a moment to get his balance. His head was still spinning.

“I think that was Cardinal’s dragonite that attacked us. Do you think you can take him?” Zapdos puffed up his feather and poked him with his beak. “Ow! I’m just making sure! That dragonite looks pretty strong.”

Zapdos stood straighter and stretched out his wings. Spark smiled at the confident display. “Okay, okay… I get it. You’re stronger. Let’s get to a better spot before they find us—“

Another attack burst thought the trees, aimed at Spark. The young boy was petrified at the blue flames hurling towards him. Yellow wings protected him once again. Zapdos brushed off the attack like it was nothing. His whole body was suddenly bursting with electricity as he pushed himself off the ground.

The sudden hum of electricity in the air brought Spark back to his senses. He tore through the forest, heading anywhere that was far away from the battle and the Rockets. There was no way for him to know how that cage worked, but putting some distance in between them and it was probably the best idea. Zapdos followed him in the sky above, striking back at Dragonite to keep him at bay.

The air began to grow heavy with the smell of salt. The beach had to be close. Just as Spark burst through the trees, he ran straight into another person. He flew back, sand quickly getting everywhere.

The person he ran into cursed, sitting up quickly. “Why is someone always running into me?!”

“Blanche?” Spark sat up and was met with a wonderful sight. “Blanche, it’s you!” he scrambled to his friends side, wrapping them up in a hug before they even realized it.

“Sp-Spark? You… you’re okay.”

“And so are you!”

Blanche relaxed, returning the hug. Then another voice called out his name.

“SPARK!”

The second he turned to look, Candela was jumping on top of him. They fell back, all the wind getting knocked out of him as he fell. “Can-dela! Can’t breathe here!”

“I don’t care. I’m going to smother you with this hug and you are going to like it.” Her voice waivered a little and Spark decided to let her have this moment. After what felt like forever, Candela finally let go and the two them sat up. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“I’m glad you guys are okay. I got a little worried after I pushed Blanche.”

“You were concerned?” Blanche eyed him, their brow furrowed. “You were the one still aboard the enemy’s ship.”

Spark played with the end of his shirt. “Well yeah, but I knew you guys would come and get me.”

“Even so, that was a reckless thing to do.”

“C’mon Blanche. Everything worked out.”

“Barely.”

Candela sighed happily and sat back. “Ah the sounds of my friends bickering. I’ve missed this.”

Flareon and Vaporeon snuggled up beside Spark, with Flareon licking his hand. He looked up from them, realizing his own Eeveelution was missing. Blanche, seemingly reading his mind, held out his bag. He smiled and took it, digging around on the inside until he found an unfamiliar pokéball.

Fluffy came tumbling out, his spikey yellow fur pointed straight up in the air. “Fluffy!” the jolten squeaked, his head shooting over to Spark. Fluffy leaped on his trainer and nuzzled his face, the little guy almost purring he was so happy. Spark hugged him tight, finally feeling at ease.

Blanche stood and pulled out a big black radio. They took a few steps away, listening for a clearer signal.

“What’s that for?” he asked Candela.

“Officer Jenny and Professor Willow. They’re on a boat out there, but can’t get much closer because of the storm.”

“Storm?” Spark looked up and realized that the dark clouds he saw earlier were much worse. They engulfed the air above the island, stretching out well around the land. It cast a shadow on the rough sea and made the whole island look like it was stuck at dusk. “Wait a minute, did you say Professor Willow?”

“Yeah, crazy right? I ran into him back on the mainland. Oh! And there’s someone else you _need_ to see.”

Candela was cut off by a distant rumble. Something rang in Spark’s head. Like some sort of siren. He pushed himself up and grabbed Candela by the arm. They dove out of the way just in time. Cardinal’s dragonite crashed on to the beach, sand flying like confetti. The dragon Pokémon rolled and rolled until it finally came to a stop right at the water’s edge. It tried to push itself up on shaky arms but quickly collapsed.

“What the—“

“Are you two all right?” Blanche had hurried over to them. Spark nodded, checking to make sure all three little Pokémon were accounted for.

“How the hell did that happen?” Candela was leaning towards the dragonite, her eyes big and curious. Spark didn’t have to answer her and Zapdos swooped down and cawed at them. She practically shrieked at the giant yellow bird, her attention completely taken up by the dragonite. Blanche on the other hand was staring up with wonder at the lightning bird. The moment was cut short by a giant, half formed metal ring flying out of the trees. Zapdos dove out of the way, the metal brushing against his feathers. Strings of blue lights reached out for the titan. 

“A cage!?” Candela gaped. “They’re still trying to catch him?”

“Yeah, I thought we had gotten far enough away but I guess I was wrong.”

Blanche grabbed onto his arm. “Spark, do you know where the base of the machine is? The power source?”

“Errr yeah? They loaded all that stuff onto trunks. Its- uh- it’s down that path!” They ran to the spot he pointed at, but Spark had a hard time keeping up. More pieces of the cage were emerging from the trees, linking together and glowing with that same blue energy.

“C’mon, we’ve got to move.” Candela nudged his shoulder.

He looked back at her, his worries showing through. “But…”

“Don’t worry about Zapdos. He’s about to get some backup.” She smirked. Just as he was going to ask her what she meant, his question was answered.

The sky was suddenly filled all three legendary birds. Articuno and her shimmering tail, Moltres and his fiery wings, Spark couldn’t believe his eyes. A blast of ice shot from Articuno’s small beak, freezing a part of the ring that was coming for Zapdos. Moltres deflected another one with a blinding torrent of flames.

“Moltres! But I thought-?“

“Yeah, those jerks had him locked up, but we busted him out.”

Blanche spun around fixed the two of them with a tired stare. “Let us save the story for another time. We need to destroy the power source before one of them is captured.”

Candela waved her hand. “C’mon, what one little cage going to do to three forces of nature?”

“I’d rather not find out. If you haven’t noticed, whatever material that thing is made of isn’t breaking. So far all of their attacks have done nothing but keep it at bay.” All three of them looked up. As usual, Blanche was right. The pieces were moving too fast to be sure, but Spark was pretty positive that there wasn’t a scratch on them. They just kept moving, linking together and getting bigger. There was one fully formed ring now.

“Let’s hurry.” Spark pushed ahead, leading them down the path. The battle carried on above them, the three birds fending off the growing cage. Every sound felt like it being broadcast right into his ear. Every crash of lighting made his heart jump with worry. All they had to do was get to those trucks and find the power source. They just had to shut it down, and all of this would be over.

The three of them arrived much faster than Spark anticipated. Having dragged his feet all the way here the first time, he thought it was much farther away. But pretty quickly, the first of the three trucks came into view. Spark pulled his friends aside, wary of the situation. There was no one around. None of the Rockets from early were anywhere to be seen. Given how he spent the last day, Spark was instantly suspicious. He quickly explained the situation to Blanche and Candela. 

“This is a trap if I ever saw one.” Candela crossed her arms and frowned.

“I would have to agree.”

Spark looked back and forth between his friends, wondering what they all should do. “They’re two other trucks down those paths. I don’t know if they all are powering it or just one.”

“The best course of action would be to take out all three of them.”

Spark nodded. “We can split up.”

This idea made both of his friends turn. Candela was the first to protest. “What? No way! We are finally all together again, and you want to split up again? Nope. We are not doing that.”

“Candela, it’ll be faster that way.” He reasoned, the distant sounds of the birds fending off the cage ringing in the background. “Look, everything will be fine. We just have to—“

“What if everything isn’t fine? Nothing about the past day has been fine.” She grabbed Spark by the shoulders, her grip tight. “Have you seen yourself lately? You’re a complete mess! If you think for a second that I’m letting either you go off alone- you all are insane. We’re sticking together this time.”

“But—“

She held up her hand, stopping Spark from saying anything else. “Don’t even try.”

He looked over to Blanche for some kind of help; after all they were the logical one. But judging by the way they were nodding along, he wasn’t going to get any kind of help. Spark held out for a moment longer before dropping his shoulders.

“Yeah… you’re right.”

“I know.”

“So what _are_ we going to do?”

The three of them sat for a few minutes and came up with a plan. Candela crouched on the side of the road, Charmeleon beside her. Blanche and Spark were hidden deeper in the trees, watching for any sign of movement. Candela turned to her Pokémon and spoke in a low voice.

The air in front of the truck suddenly filled with smoke. Charmeleon’s smokescreen attack successfully drew out the waiting Rockets. All the sudden the smoke was cut with all sorts of attacks. Fire and water, even the deafening sound of a screech. With the enemy positions now compromised, Spark and Blanche went on the offensive.

Blanche targeted the ones on the left side of the road, their squirtle forcing a golbat out of the trees and into the dirt. Spark hurried across to the other side where he and Noodles engaged the others. With the smokescreen still covering most of the road, Candela bolted. She sprinted alongside Charmeleon who was growling ferociously. As soon as they got to the truck, Charmeleon attacked.

The truck explodes in a brilliant fashion. The sudden whoosh of heat dispersed the smoke and all the Rockets were left gaping at the three young kids who beat them in a matter of minutes. The trio wasted no time and took off towards the next truck.

This job was just as easy as the first, the three of them working together in perfect sync. Blanche switched out Squirtle with Pidgeot. He quickly flew up with Noodles the two of them created a massive Whirlwind that tore down all of the Rockets and their Pokémon. Candela circled around and once again, her and Charmeleon blew up the next trucks.

Spark instantly looked up to the sky. The storm clouds were still churning, and the distance clash of the birds against the cage echoed. He grimaced. “Looks like we still have to go after the last one.”

“It appears so.” Blanche called back Pidgeot, taking stock of their pokéballs. The other two did the same. The trio hurried back up the road with their Eeveelutions following, turning down the last path.

“Y’know what’s weird?” Candela’s voice sounded a little breathy, probably due to the running.

“What?” Spark asked.

“We haven’t seen that guy. Cardinal- or whatever. I thought he’d be with you?”

“He was but I got away…” Spark began to slow, suddenly realizing that it was very strange they hadn’t run into Cardinal just yet. After Candela mentioned it, Blanche seemed to slow down too. All of this suddenly felt extremely dangerous.

None of them noticed the sound of wings beating through the air. What with all the crashes and bangs from the birds keeping the cages at bay, it was hard to notice anything else. The first thing any of them saw was a shadow. With reflexes faster than the rest of them Candela jumped on her two friends and dragged them down moments before claws clamped down on them. Spark sputtered and quickly turned to see what they were facing. It was another extremely rare Pokémon, one that was supposed to be extinct.

“It that- is that an aerodactly?!” he gasped. 

“Run!” Candela yanked him up by the arm and the three of them were sprinting. Behind them came a wicked screech as Aerodactly turned to follow them. For a moment, Spark glanced down at Fluffy, wondering if his attacks would make any difference.

This had to be Cardinal. None of the other Rockets had Pokémon as powerful and intimidating as this. That meant he was close by. With that thought suddenly plaguing him, Spark began to fall behind.

A figure shot out of the trees. It wasn’t a Pokémon that was one thing Spark managed to see. No, it was definitely a person. A hand clamped over his mouth while another yanked his arm painfully. Spark screamed for his friends, the effort completely wasted as Blanche and Candela sped off down the road, not even aware that Spark wasn’t behind them. Even Fluffy was too distracted to notice. He tried to see who was behind him, but Spark already had a pretty good idea who it was.

The person began dragging him back, practically lifting him off the ground as he struggled to get away. He reached up and latched onto the persons arm trying to pull them off, but they had an iron like grip that wasn’t going to move anytime soon. Spark grumbled in frustration.

This was not happening again. Not when they were so close to getting off this island and back to safety. He watched as his two friends turned the corner and disappeared, still running from the aerodactly that had begun to slow down.

Spark steadied himself and then brought his heel down hard on his attacker’s foot. The man howled, the hang that covered his mouth finally loosening. The young boy pushed himself free and turned to face Cardinal yet again.

“You- insolent little- _brat_!” his voice sounded course after yelling at his subordinates for so long.

Spark stood a little taller; for once he didn’t feel like a helpless little kid standing in front of this guy. “I told you you were going to lose.”

“Nothing is lost yet. I refuse to let it be.” Aerodactly screeched, landing roughly in the space between Spark and Cardinal. It was a big and fearsome looking thing, with leathery skin and large zubat-like wings. But Spark wasn’t afraid. Not anymore. He was done running.

A frantic squeak made his head turn. Fluffy was barreling towards him. He skidded in the dirt, taking his place in front of Spark. Fluffy growled, his fur standing straight up. The two of them stood ready for battle.

Cardinal smirked at the sight. “You really don’t think you going to win with that _thing_ , do you?”

“You’re just going to have to wait and see. Fluffy, thunder shock!”

“Aerodactly, agility.”

The big Pokémon moved fast, faster than Fluffy’s shock wave could reach it. It zoomed in the air, getting faster and faster with each movement. Fluffy did his best to keep up, but every attack missed and hit the trees instead. Spark changed tactics.

“Fluffy, you got to move faster! Use agility!” The jolteon crouched low, it fur practically vibrating.

“Crush it Aerodactly. Take down.” The beast dove for Fluffy. After using agility for that short while, it became a blur of gray aimed straight for Fluffy. Spark didn’t even have time to warn his friend as the Aerodactly came crashing down. To his relief, there was a blur of yellow streaking past the trees.

“Thunder!” he cried. Fluffy stopped perfectly, a puff of dust billowing around him. The air around him sparked as he built up the energy for the attack. It took a matter of seconds and a jolt of electricity burst towards the enemy. It was a strong attack, one that would have stunned even a charizard. But this was something completely different. Aerodactly flinched from the attack, but didn’t appear hurt at all.

Spark grimaced, trying to work through this predicament without giving into his fear. It was there, it was always there, ready to make him doubt every move his made and freeze at the worst possible moments. But he couldn’t give in. He had to stay focused and stay calm.

“Aerodactly, use hyper beam.” Cardinal caught his eye from the other side of the battle field. He grinned wickedly. Aerodactly climbed higher into the sky, the air around it shimmering. It opened its jaws and a tiny speck of light began to grow in front of its mouth. It expanded rapidly and soon it was ready to fire. The Hyper Beam fired; a staggering beam of light that was pointed straight at Fluffy. He leaped out of the way, as did Spark as the beam shot passed the Pokémon and went towards the trainer.

Spark rolled to his feet quickly and focused on the battle. Aerodactly was on the ground, needing a moment to recover after that attack. “Fluffy now! Aim for its wings! Thunder shock!”

Waves of electricity flew forward, slamming into Aerodactly’s side. Fluffy slid out from some nearby bushes and attacked again. This time he managed to hit his target. Aerodactly screeched angrily as the electricity pulsed up and down its left wing. Fluffy attacked again and again, basically reading Spark’s mind, knowing what he hoped for. If he could hit Aerodactly’s wing enough with a thunder wave, there was a good chance it would become temporarily paralyzed.

Cardinal looked like he was on the verge of exploding. “Stop letting it hit you!” he yelled.

“Fluffy, use thunder!” Electricity filled the air again as the attack shot towards Aerodactly’s wing. This final zap seemed to do the trick and its wing suddenly dropped to the side, useless.

“No!” Cardinal screeched.

“Yes!” Spark practically jumped in joy. The battle may be far from over, but now things were looking a little more doable.

“Aerodactly, use supersonic!”

“Uh oh—“ a terrible noise suddenly filled the air. Spark covered his ears, but the noise was still there. It was so very loud and it rattled his entire being. His own frantic shouts at Fluffy were completely drowned out. He didn’t even realize the attack had ended until Fluffy stood shakily from the ground. His ears were ringing, everything else a dull hum as he watched the battle continue.

Fluffy didn’t look good, in fact he looked very strange. His little legs wobbled and his eyes were huge, darting this way and that. Spark’s stomach dropped. He was confused.

The next thing that happened was perfectly clear, the ringing in his ears suddenly dropping as soon as Cardinal began to speak. “Aerodactly, charge another hyper beam. Take the jolteon out.”

Spark panicked; his own legs unstable from the attack. “F-Fluffy, get out of the way!”

Fluffy head shot in the opposite direction and he begun spinning around in a circle. Around and around, making his confusion even worse.

“Fluffy _move_!” Spark urged, but it was useless. Aerodactly was standing at the ready, energy bursting from all around. Spark dug his foot into the ground and launched himself towards Fluffy, his focus only concentrated on protecting his little friend.

A little ways in the distance, there was a loud boom. Smoke and flames billowed up from the area and caused Cardinal to scowl. As Spark ran, he stretched out his arms to scoop up Fluffy. Another sound made him trip, his knee skidding on the ground. Someone was calling his name, screaming it actually. He couldn’t turn to look, though. He had to save Fluffy.

Spark crashed into the ground, wrapping his arms around his little friend. Fluffy squeaked, still too out of it to realize what was happening. The hyper beam was coming straight for them. Spark braced himself for the pain.

But it never came. Instead, the air began to vibrate. Spark gasped as everything around him suddenly changed. The air was moving, pulsing, flowing with electricity. He sat up, one hand still hovering over the confused Fluffy. Lighting was raining down on them. Everything was bathed in that bright yellow energy. The trees were shaking, their leaves falling off rapidly. The ground was marked by the trails the lightning bolts traveled. 

With a tentative hand, Spark reached out. A bolt passed through his hand. Besides a small tingling feeling, it was like nothing. Like there nothing was there at all. At first Spark thought that he was dreaming. He extended his arm again watching as more bolts passed through his arm. The attack didn’t hurt at all, at least that’s what he thought before he looked over at Aerodactly. The hyper beam was completely destroyed; it’s energy scattered by the lightning. Aerodactly was screeching in pain, the attack running ramped all along its body.

The rain of lightning came to a slow end, a few sparks hanging in the air. Aerodactly screeched weakly, its claws tearing at the ground at it tried to stand. It stared at him briefly before passing out. Behind it, Cardinal slumped on the ground, his face contorted in rage. Spark pushed himself up, ready to keep fighting, but all the sudden he felt tired. His body rattled with exhaustion and soon he was back on the ground. A feint glimmer caught his eye and Spark realized that the mark on his hand was flickering like a dying candle. His eyes grew heavy, his head swimming. He collapsed on the ground just as two voices called out to him. 

* * *

 

When Spark woke up, the first thing he noticed was how soft everything was. The bed, the blanket, even the light that played across his eyes was a soft glow. Spark breathed deeply, fidgeting slightly at how stiff and sore he felt.

“… Spark?” a low voice spoke. Spark crack open his eyes and blinked.

“Uncle Surge?” he gasped softy, wondering how in the world his uncle ended up here. Surge practically jumped up from his chair and knelt by Spark’s side, a hand brushing back his bangs in a familiar motion.

“Hey squirt…” the corner of his mouth flicked into a smile but his eyes were all glassy.

“Where am I? What happened?” The last few things he remembered suddenly played back in his head. The way the lighting moved through him without so much as a scratch, Cardinal’s angry face, Aerodatcly’s final screech. But most importantly of all, Spark thought about his friends. He jumped up, nearly crashing into Surge’s forehead. “Where are Candela and Blanche? A-and Fluffy? Are they okay??”

“Calm down, Spark, everyone is fine.” He gently pushed down on Spark’s shoulder, making him lay back down. “Your friends are in the other room, eating breakfast. Fluffy there too. Little guy had to spend time in the Pokécenter, but he fine now. You on the other hand…” Surge sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Spark grimace. He knew he’s been out for a couple days. His whole body felt super stiff and his throat was a dry as a desert.  That fact that Surge was here also confirmed this thought. It took at least three days to get to this island after all. Spark pulled his arm out from under the blanket and grabbed on to his uncles hand. He hoped it was comforting.

“I… I’m sorry Uncle Surge. I’m sorry for lying, for not telling you the whole truth. I’m sorry that I made you worry. I-it’s not like I wanted to hurt you or anything! We were… we were just so caught up an-and we wanted to- _I_ wanted to figure all of this out and—“

Sparks words were cut off as Surge pulled him into a hug. The young boy shuttered, tears welling up in his eyes.

“I’m just glad you’re okay, squirt.” His voice cracked at the end, and Spark hugged his uncle tighter. “I was so worried.”

“I’m sorry…”

“You should be.” There was a teasing tone to his voice as Surge pulled away and fluffed up Spark’s hair. “I swear, all this worrying has added on ten years. I feel like a tired old man.”

Spark wiped away any stray tears with the blanket and smiled. “Aw c’mon Uncle Surge, you still look good for your age.” He reassured.

“What do you mean ‘for my age’?” Spark couldn’t help but laugh at his Uncles face. A quiet knock on the door stole their attention. Spark sat up and looked to the door.

Surge sighed. “Come in.”

The door creaked open slowly and Blanche’s head popped in. Their eyes grew wide. “Spark, you’re awake.”

“SPARK?” the door burst open and Candela came rushing in. She practically ran over Blanche. Surge ducked out of the way just as Candela leaped onto the bed.

“OOF!” Spark was crushed by his excitable friend and her strangely strong hug. “H-hey! You-you’re kind of hurting me Candela!”

“Oops! Sorry!” she sat back, the biggest smile on her face. It suddenly vanished as she whacked him on the arm.

“OW. What was that for?!”

“Don’t make me worry like that again! Going off on your own, passing out for _days_. You’re lucky your Uncle was here otherwise I would have hit you harder.”

Spark laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry about all that, but Cardinal kinda grabbed me. Hey, what happened to him anyway? I remember the battle and Fluffy coming to help… I remember feeling really tired and then nothing.”

“Cardinal has been apprehended.” Blanche finally picked themselves up, pushing back a few strands of hair that had come loose from Candela’s rampage. “However many members of Team Rocket did manage to escape, including Davis.”

The mention of that name made Candela hum in frustration. “The wimp took off as soon as we made it to their camp. What an ass—“

“ _Candela_.”

“Sorry.”

Spark smiled at the two, many questions still heavy on his mind. He reached for his hand and was surprised to see that it was wrapped in bandages. Not only that, but there was a dull ache that pulsed from his hand. He tugged at the edge of the bandage.

“It seems that Zapdos’s power took a toll on you.” Blanche took his hand gently and began unwrapping the bandage. “When we came to find you, you were about to be consumed by Aerodactly’s hyper beam. I can’t remember a time when I was so scared. Then the most peculiar thing happened. One moment the sky was empty and the next everything was covered in light. Lighting surrounded the both of you and neither of us could see what was happening. When everything finally cleared, you were unconscious and Aerodatcly had been defeated.”

The last of the bandage had fallen away. The pale mark had changed. Now it looked more like a burn, the skin raised and red like a hot skewer had been pressed into his palm. Spark flexed his finger gently, watching as the damaged skin moved stiffly. He twisted his wrist, taking in the whole thing.   

“That’s… that’s crazy.” He mumbled. 

“You can say that again.” Candela sat cross legged on the end of the bed, tapping her fingers on her knee.

“But that isn’t even the strangest part.” Blanche continued. “Zapdos was still on the beach when the lightning appeared.”

“…what?” he gaped.

Candela sat up. “Yeah it was like you were the one who made all that lighting appear. And then poof, it was all gone and you were out of it. Blanche and Professor Willow have been talking about it for days.”

Just then, Spark noticed something strange. Something pale on his friends’ dark skin. “C-Candela, what is that?”

Her hand froze and she smiled a little sheepishly. “Oh right, there was no time to really tell you but, look! I guess we have even more in common now.” She held up her hand and Spark gaped at the flaming feather wrapped around her wrist. She looked fondly at the mark. “I guess Moltres wanted to say thanks for saving him. Still a little weird to get used to.”

Surge clear his throat, making all three of them turn. “Looks like you three were meant to meet. All of you are trouble makers.”

Spark giggled at his uncle, looked back his friends for a moment. “Yeah… I guess we were meant to meet.”

The door rattled, something pawing at it. Candela jumped up and hurried over. “Oh, I almost forgot. There’s someone who is _dying_ to see you.”

Spark frowned, confused. His mind went to Fluffy first, after all that would explain the pawing noise. But whatever was out there sounded bigger that his jolteon. Blanche stepped to the side as Candela flung open the door.

“Sai?!” A mass of brown fur dove towards him. Sai landed haphazardly on the bed, his giant paws made the bed creak and for a brief moment, he thought it might snap in half. Spark stared up his old friend with wonder, his eyes getting cloudy with tears yet again. “Sai… how did you-you… I can’t believe you’re here!”

Sai licked Spark’s face over and over, basically giving him an unwanted bath. Spark buried his face into the soft fur, his arms finally almost long enough to fully wrap around his neck. He pulled away, taking in the sight he’d never thought he’d see again. Spark ran his finger along the scar that tore across Sai’s muzzle, the only thing telling him that this was real and not just some crazy memory his tired mind was replaying.

“It’s good to see you, buddy.” Spark smiled. He pressed his forehead against Sai’s and sat there for a moment, a few happy tears trailing down his cheeks.

“Professor Willow found him a few years back.” Candela pat Sai’s back, earning a short bark. “Sai’s been following him around ever since. He helped me find you guys after you got taken.”

Spark looked back at his father Pokémon, scratching him behind the ear. “Still looking out for me, huh?”

Sai barked licking his face yet again.

Spark sat back and listened to his friends recount all that had happened. Sai hopped off the bed and sat next to his little friend, his head resting on Spark’s lap. A few minutes into the stories, Fluffy wondered in and hopped up on the bed next to Spark. He nuzzled his trainers face before curling up next to him and falling asleep.

So many things had happened; to all three of them. Surge listened, sitting just outside their little group and watching with a content grin on his face. Spark couldn’t even begin to imagine all that he put his uncle through and there was still so much that he needed to tell him. But for now, all of that could wait. Now was the time to relax and revel in the fact that they were all safe. Even the birds were free to fly the skies once again. Spark found himself tracing the mark on his hand. There were still plenty more mysteries for him to figure out when it came to his incredible friend. Some that had only come up recently. For now however, Spark didn’t feel the need to chase after the answers. No longer did he feel the need to uncover every little mystery in his life. Some things would unravel with time, and others he might never find an answer to. But Spark no longer needed to have all the answers. All he needed was this. Moments like these where he was surrounded by the people and Pokémon he cared for most in his life. 

Moments like these were more than enough.


	15. Epilogue

_Buzz_

_Buzz_

_Buzz_

Spark groaned, his feet dangling off the edge of the bed. Maybe Surge was right, he should have slept on the couch instead of this tiny old bed. But old habits die hard.

_Buzz_

_Buzz_

_Buzz_

He reached out blindly for the bedside table, careful not to disturb the sleeping jolteon on his back. His fingers bumped into his phone. It jumped and buzzed in his hand, Blanche’s number flashing on the screen. He swiped the screen and brought it up to his ear.

“Hello?” his voice was thick with sleep.

“Still asleep? I see you haven’t changed.” His friend sound amused; their usual monotone voice lighter then he remembered.

Spark grinned and turned to the window. The sun was barely rising and Vermillion City was still fast asleep outside his window. “You’re one to talk. Why are you always up at dawn?”

“Studies show that people who go to sleep earlier and wake and an early hour are more efficient and all around live healthier lives. You should really consider following my example.”

“I like sleep too much. Besides, I just got in from Alola last night. I’m beat.”

“Oh right, I had forgotten about your trip. Not that you needed to, but by chance did you—“

“Yep, I got you a Popplio.  I snagged a Litten for Candela, too.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” He yawned, finally disturbing the sleeping Pokémon. Fluffy let loose his own little yawn, stretching on Spark’s back. His claws accidently poked him. Spark rolled over, tossing the blanket over Fluffy. “I can’t wait tell you guys all the stuff I saw. Alolan Pokémon are so cool.”

“I am excited to hear it. It’s been a long time since we’ve all been together.” He could just picture the small smile on their face.

“Yeah it has. It’s been what… three years? Maybe four?”

“Just about. You aren’t going to be late, are you? Professor Willow wants us all there by 1.” There was that scolding tone they liked to use.

“I’m not gonna be late.” He was met with silence. If Blanche were sitting next to him now, they’d probably be giving him a disbelieving look. “I _promise_. Watch, I’m gonna be the first one there.”

“I will believe that when I see it. Goodbye Spark.”

“See ya soon, Blanche.”

Spark hung up the phone and tossed it back on his bedside table. It bumped into one of the Pokémon figurines and nearly knocked it over. He couldn’t help but smile looking at his collection. Sitting up now, Spark looked around his childhood bedroom. It felt like it had been ages since he lived in this place, and after he thought about it, it really had been. Nine year was a long time by anyone’s standards.

I had been nine years since Spark first set out on his journey. Nine years of ups and downs, of one incredible adventure after another, it was still hard to believe that all of it had really happened. After the events that occurred on Lighting Island, the world was introduced to Team Rocket. Different branches of the criminal group began popping up in all the different regions. They even managed to inspire other extremists to form alliances and forge their own teams. But good always managed to out weight the bad.

For a long time Spark, Candela and Blanche traveled together. There was still the threat of Team Rocket and other organizations tempted to steal their birds, but after their incredible display of power, many approached them with extreme caution. While the underground world knew about the three of them, regular citizens had no idea that the legendary titans appeared because of three children. Spark was glad for the anonymity. It made traveling with his friends a much more fun experience when no one knew you were best buds with a titan.

Of course, as time wore on and as the trio got older, they began to want different things. Candela was the first to leave. After nearly a year of training, Candela took on the Elite four in Kanto, beating them at the age of 14. Unable to stay put, she wanted to try her hand in Johto and Sinnoh. Spark still remembers the look on her face after she beat the champion of Kanto.

Next was Blanche. They had always been more scholarly than the other two, preferring to spend a day in a hovering at the elbows of some professor instead of napping under a tree. They had gotten many offers from schools and research centers all over the region, and also from cities across the sea. They seemed hesitant about accepting them; probably because accepting one meant leaving Spark on his own, but he was insistent. Especially when Professor Sycamore from Hoenn asked them personally to help him research Mega Evolution. Spark practically pushed them on the plane himself.

For a while, Spark was a little aimless. He thought for a while about going back to Vermillion and helping out Surge at the gym, but that meant sitting around watching other trainers go in and out on their own adventures. Going back there made it seem like his journey was over, but it was anything but that.

Spark travelled the world on his own, with his faithful little jolteon trotting alongside him. He did the things he loved, like taking care of eggs, meeting new Pokémon and helping others understand these wonderful creatures a little better. He would pass by the daycares and volunteer to watch the young Pokémon. He’s stop in various labs and learned from the breeders who worked there. He used everything his father taught him and became quiet the talented young breeder himself.

After a while, Kanto start to feel small. So Spark packed up his things and traveled, Unova being his first adventure. He’d run into Team Rocket where ever he went, even running into Davis from time to time. What’s worse, Cardinal and a bunch of other Rockets had escaped from jail after a huge explosion took out one of the prison walls. Spark hadn’t seen the man since he was 12, but he was pretty positive that any trouble that the criminal organization threw his way were a direct order from the mad man.

Spark handled all of these situations well, having traveled and trained with his friends for so long really paid off. He could have become a champion in his own right, if he had the same drive as Candela. However Spark was perfectly content with the few gym badges he had earned. While he did find battles thrilling and challenging, he’d much rather watch an egg hatch.

Then one day mere hours after he’d stepped off the plane in Aloha, Spark got a call from Professor Willow. Apparently he had rebuilt the research center in the valley that had been Spark’s childhood home. The professor was working tirelessly towards some big new project and asked Spark to hear a proposal and consider helping him with it. Willow was pretty vague about the whole thing, but Spark was more than willing to help out in any way he could. When he heard that Willow had asked Candela and Blanche to come by too, it just made him all the more excited.

All that excitement did nothing to keep him from falling back asleep. He woke with a start, nearly punting Fluffy out of the bed as someone was banging on the door.

A moment later, Surge was leaning on the door frame. “Good, you’re awake.”

Spark grumbled, grabbing Fluffy and hugging him like a stuffed animal. “Mmmmm go awaaayyy…”

“You’re too old to be whining like this. Get up. You’re going to be late.”

“What time is it?”

“About 10:30.”

Spark grumbled. At this rate he really was going to be late. It took about two hours to get to the valley from Vermillion. Spark rolled out of bed and shuffled to the door with Fluffy still snoring in his arms. Once Surge pushed a plate of food in their direction, both of them were suddenly awake and shoveling food in their mouths faster than was healthy.

After breakfast, Spark gathered his things. He’d just returned from Alola last night but by some weird happenstance he had stuff strewn about every room of the house. After checking a rechecking everything, it looked like he was ready to go. Fluffy bounded out of the house, leaping into the grass and rolling around. He was always such a playful little thing. Outside there was a big lump of fur in the flower beds, snoring loudly. Sai had gone back to napping most days and only waking up when he was hungry. He’d become quiet the lazy thing since settling down in Vermillion.

 Spark gently scratched behind his ear, chuckling as his back legs began twitching. Sai cracked open and eye, grumbling.

“Not even going to say good bye to me? That cold, buddy.” Spark teased. Sai’s eyes snapped open and he jumped up. He licked the side of Spark’s face, coating his hair and making it stand on end. The young man sputtered, shaking the slobber from his hair. “Thanks for that, but I didn’t really need a shower.”

Sai barked, wagging his tail. Spark turned towards the garage with Surge and Sai following close behind. Inside was a beat up, old motorcycle with a small sidecar, one that Surge had built in his youth. He’d taught his nephew how to ride it and fix it up whenever he’d come and visit, and then one day Surge actually gave it to him. Spark rode it whenever he was in Kanto.

He hoisted his bag on the back and began strapping it down. “Any ideas what Willow is up to?” he asked. The two were friends after all.

“No clue.” Surge stayed on the side, crossing his arms. “He was never the type to explain his harebrained ideas. Not until he needs your help that is.”

Spark chuckled. He shifted the large Pokémon egg under his arm and frowned. It had been a gift from a friend back in Alola and now he had to figure out a way to safely transport it. Getting an idea, Spark went over to the shelf and grabbed a dusty drop cloth. He shook it out, filling the space with dust and then fashioned a sling to hold the egg. He tied it around himself, pulling it tight so the egg wouldn’t budge. He grinned at his work. Surge bit back a laugh.

“Got everything, squirt?” he asked, holding out a helmet.

“Yep. C’mon Fluffy, get a move on!” A little yellow head poked out of a nearby bush. Fluffy hurried over, hopping into the side car and wagging his tail. “Looks like I’m all set.”

Surge nodded and took a few steps forward. “Alright, give your uncle a hug.”

It was more of a side hug if anything, the egg making things a little difficult. Spark was taller than Surge now, something he kept forgetting. He wasn’t sure when exactly he had his growth spurt, having stopped by his uncles house so infrequently over the years. Surge clapped him on the back. Once they broke apart, he turned to Sai and pat him on the head.

“Call when you get there. I want to know what Willow is up to.”

“You got it.” Spark swung his leg over the bike, strapping on his helmet and slipping on his gloves.

“And be careful driving, for Arceus’ sake.”

“I’ll be fine, Uncle Surge.”

“Yeah yeah, see you later kiddo.”

“See ya!” Spark revved the engine to get a rise out his uncle and then pulled out of the garage.

The open road felt exhilarating. Spark glanced over at Fluffy. He had his front paws up on the edge of the car and his tongue was hanging out the side of his mouth. Spark laughed at the goofy sight. The closer he got to home, the more and more excited he felt. Not only was he going home, but his friends were there too.

The sun was just about at its highest point when he pulled onto the familiar dirt road. Thick trees rushed passed, but soon the wide clear valley opened up in front of him. Spark sped down the road, eager to get to his childhood home and unpack. Whatever Willow wanted to talk about could wait until after. As the sight of his house came into view, two strange figures were leaning against his fence. A wide smile began to spread across his face. He called out to the figures, waving.

Candela looked absolutely gorgeous. Being a tomboy for the entire time Spark knew her did not prepare him for the beauty she grew up to be. But judging by the muscles she was proudly displaying with a sleeveless shirt, she could still pound him into the ground without breaking a sweat.

Candela was jumping up and down as Spark slowed to a stop. “Whoa, look at you! When did you get to be such a badass?” She hurried over for a hug, but Spark put his hands out.

“Don’t jump on me yet! I’ve got precious cargo...” He rubbed the egg fondly.

“I take it back. You’re still such a little weirdo.”

Spark rolled his eyes and untied the egg, setting it down gently in the sidecar next to Fluffy. He went over and hugged Candela, the latter having to stand on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck. “When did you get to tall?! I remember the good old days when I was the tall one.”

“You use to give pick on me so damn much for that.” He chuckled.

“It’s true. At least you didn’t shrink like Blanchey over here.” She jutted her thumb behind her to where the third part of their trio was standing.

Blanche looked almost exactly the same as he remembered. Their hair had grown incredibly long, reaching just past their lower back even in a high pony tail. The round feature’s they had a child thinned out making their features sharper, more defined. Quite honestly they looked pretty intimidating but Spark knew that they were softer than an eevee’s belly.

“I did not get shorter.” They glared at Candela. “Just because I didn’t grow to the size of a tree doesn’t mean I’m short. I’m a perfectly average height.”

“Yeah for a toddler…” Candela smirked. Spark couldn’t help but laugh at the sour look on Blanche’s face. It was like the three of them had never been apart. Spark made the look on Blanche’s face disappear by wrapping them up in a hug. They grumbled for a bit before hugging back, patting him awkwardly on the back. They still weren’t the best when it came to dealing with people.

Flareon and Vaporeon came dashing out from behind the house. Fluffy squeaked in excitement, leaping out of the side car and tackling his friends. The sight of the three of them playing together warmed Spark’s heart.

“Hey we gotta get going.” Candela spun around and began walking backwards towards the research center. “Willow said he’d meet us out front.”

“Yes, it’s almost time.” Blanche nodded.

“’kay, give me a sec. Let me put my stuff inside.” Spark pulled at the chain around his neck and grabbed the key. He hoisted his bag over his shoulder, giving the egg to Blanche to hold on to. The key slid in smoothly and Spark stepped into his childhood home.

It was perfect. Covered in dust, incredibly musty and absolutely perfect. Spark dropped his stuff on the kitchen counter and turned to the windows, opening them one at a time. Even if he did decide that Willow’s project wasn’t for him, Spark was going to stay here and make this place him home again. The thought alone was exciting.

“Spaaarkk, come on already. We’ve got places to be and I’m hungry!” Candela’s voice drew his attention back to the present.

“Coming!” he called back.

The trio made their way to the research center, walking and talking casually. The warm summer breeze felt nice, the earthy smell of grass tickling his nose. The egg in his arms seemed to like the warmth too. Spark could feel it living and growing, even with his hands covered with gloves.

“I wonder what Willow wants to talk to us about.” Candela asked aloud.

“For once, I haven’t a clue.” Blanche sighed. They sounded almost disappointed that they didn’t have the answer.

“Well,” Spark started, his eye’s drifting to Fluffy and Flareon jumping in and out of the grass. “Whatever it is, I bet it’s pretty big. Willow wouldn’t ask us all to come if it wasn’t.”

“You have a point.”

The path curved, the research center coming into view. It looked so different from the last time they saw it. It looked like its former self again; the grass in the corral trimmed, the paint fresh and bright, everything was how he remember it. He let out a low whistle, honestly impressed.

“Wow, look at this place. It looks brand new.”

Blanche nodded. “Indeed. Much different from when we were he before.”

“Yeah. This whole place was practically a ghost town.” Candela added. Spark glanced around. She was right. Compared to the last time they were all here, it was a completely different place. Like life had been brought back to the valley.

Before the made it to the doors, they slid open and Willow stepped out. His hair had gone from a light salt and pepper to full on grey. Other than the wrinkles that more defined, Willow looked just like his younger self. He looked up at the three of them and smiled wide.

“Spark, Blanche, Candela! It’s good to see you all again.” They all greeted each other, Spark having to balance his egg while trying to shake Willow’s hand. The Professor looked at the egg with interest. “Oh my, that’s pretty big… and the shell pattern, I’ve never seen that before.”

“It’s from Alola.” Spark said proudly. “My friend Kukui gave it to me before I left.”

“Interesting. What type of Pokémon is it?”

“I have no idea.” He shrugged.

“That makes it all the more exciting.”

Blanche cleared their throat, obviously edger to get on with things. “Professor, why exactly have you asked us all here?”

Willow smiled, spinning around and heading back inside. “Right to the point, as always Blanche. Well I’m starting a new project and I need people I can trust.”

The trio followed him, exchanging confused looks with one another. The research center had been redone on the inside, looking almost nothing like it had when he was younger. He stared at it hard, trying to remember exactly what it used to look like.

Willow led them through another pair of doors that opened up to a lab of some kind. There was a large map of the world on the wall, large enough that it almost took up the entire wall. There was a large desk in front of it with book shelves and cabinets lining the walls and bursting with books and papers. A small vulpix was napping on one of the tables.

Blanche and Spark seated themselves while Candela remained standing. “So what do you mean, people you can trust?”

“I’m going to start a program that will enlist the help of trainers all over the world. And I need people to lead them. More specifically, I need you three to lead them.”

The three looked at one another with wide eyes. “I think I speak for all of us when I say… huh?”

Willow chuckled. “Let me elaborate. I need people who can lead; three different people with different strengths and weakness to help me guide the young trainers along. You will also be helping me sort through all the data we receive from the trainers while also having the opportunity to explore your own areas of interest.”

Spark was really confused now. Blanche sat up, a frowning. “I don’t quite understand. Why do you think we are the ones capable of both helping you and also leading a group of trainers?”

“Well, who better to lead then the only three trainers in the world who have bonded with the legendary titans?”

“While that is a very good point, I don’t see how that makes any of us qualified to lead. If anything, that might hinder your research. Team Rocket still hasn’t given up on obtaining their power.”

“True, but even without your three, Team Rocket would be targeting this project any way. After all, they flock to any place that has an abundance of Pokémon in it.” He had a good point there. “Honestly, you three having bonded with titans is really more of a bonus. It’s your individual skills that I think make you all perfect leaders.”

Spark wasn’t too sure what he could contribute. He wasn’t as smart as Blanche or as strong as Candela. He had good instincts thought and learned a many great things about caring for Pokémon during his travels, both from studying under the best and working in the field. And he was the only person he knew who could tell when an egg was going to hatch just by listening.

Maybe he did have some valuable knowledge to share.

There was a lull in the conversation, his two friends looking a little confused and unsure of what Willow was taking about. Spark spoke up. “So what’s the project called?”

“I’m calling it the Go Initiative.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end, folks!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you all liked this story!


End file.
